


I Hope You Don't Mind

by Liobhan



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Canon, Badass!Levi, Blood Sweat & Tears, Bottom Eren Yeager, Canon Era, Canon Universe, Cheesy Romance Tropes, Dominant Eren Yeager, Drama, Eren Is a Little Shit, Hero Worship, M/M, Prostitute Eren Yeager, Sorry Not Sorry, Submissive Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Top Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), canon so far, ereri, rip levi, the one where Eren is a fanboy and Levi has mad trust issues, they switch, tragic hero complex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2018-12-25 14:43:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 39,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12038082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liobhan/pseuds/Liobhan
Summary: Green.Green eyes.Two of the biggest damned green eyes Levi had ever seen.  Or were they blue?  He really wasn’t sure, the darkness of the room made them rather hard to make out.  After a handful of seconds he was able to take a metaphoric step backwards and come to the realization that those eyes belonged to a rather smug lookingkid, with a mop of brown hair falling into said eyes and around his ears.No matter how pretty he was, Levi already wanted to wipe that irritating smirk off his face.Or in other words, Levi visits a brothel, and the aforementioned talent is a feisty, doe-eyed brat.





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! So this is my very first Ereri story, and it's been in the works for some time now. I'm very excited to show it to you guys! Any comments or feedback would be much valued and appreciated. Enjoy, and thanks for reading!

Levi was disgusted.

The tavern was loud and much too crowded, filled to the brim with drunken men looking to drown in their sorrows for the night.  Their likely long unwashed bodies clustered together so nauseatingly close like too many pigs crammed into a single barn stall: singing, yelling, and spilling beer all over the floor and each other.  There were other quieter groups, often accompanied by attractive young men or women in rather revealing states of dress. The cloying scents of cigarette smoke and food from the kitchens hung heavily in the air mixed rather distastefully with the putrid stench of body odour, making Levi question (and not for the first time) his own presence in such a place.    

Upon his arrival he noticed, with no small amount of relief, that the tavern consisted mostly of civilians – which meant the chance of him being recognized (or someone attempting to talk to him at all for that matter) was greatly reduced, especially since he wasn’t donning his Survey Corps uniform.  He was not in the mood for idle chatter.

He rarely was as a general rule, but the point still stood.   

Currently he was able to retain his anonymity, sitting further from the crowds up at the bar counter, but occasionally caught glimpses here and there of a Garrison soldier or two.  It was more likely that they would be the first to recognize him over any civilians, so he would need to make sure he kept a low profile.  He wasn’t too concerned at the moment as they all seemed quite occupied.  There were a few laughing uproariously near the front entrance, and another was talking quietly with a young girl, twirling her hair with his fingers behind her back.

“Tch,” he sniffed derisively, taking another sip of whiskey.  The feeling of liquid fire coating his throat was so smoky and rich that he almost sighed with it – good booze was getting harder and harder to find these days.

He wasn’t ashamed of being here.  Really, he wasn’t.  Disgusted in himself, perhaps, for setting his own hygienic standards temporarily aside for the night.  (Just now his mouth pulled into a distasteful grimace as he watched the barkeep wipe down the counter with the same cloth for the _fifth time_.)  But not ashamed, no.   

And it wasn’t of any true importance if he was recognized either – he certainly wouldn’t be reprimanded for it (although he most certainly would be irritated).  Having the reputation of being Humanity’s Strongest did have its advantages, although he’d never really made an effort in utilizing them in the past.  What he really needed was solitude – isolation from the façade of being Indestructible.  A break from the shell of a person everyone thought they knew, just because they’d heard a few stories.  A need to just be a man for once, rather than an inhuman killing machine with the world hanging on his shoulders.

But poetic ‘tragic hero’ bullshit aside, he really just needed to get laid.

Which was why he was in a whorehouse.

It’d certainly been a while since he’d had anyone.  Months, years… he couldn’t recall.  Time just seemed to be blending together the older he got.  He did remember a few trysts here and there soon after joining the Corps – because few things could ease the pain of witnessing the savage murder of the two people you loved most in the entire world like a good fucking.  However, his bedfellows often failed to see their relationship in a purely physical sense, after a time.  It was frustrating, to be sure, as he would make his intentions very clear at the start.  But annoyance soon morphed into guilt when they eventually got themselves killed outside the walls.

He took another large mouthful of whiskey, once again welcoming the burn scorching his throat.

“Are you just going to sit there scowling into your drink all night?” 

Levi almost started.  _Almost._

He swivelled his head around to glare at whoever was responsible for interrupting his brooding, only to have his retort wiped from his brain and replaced with a single, loud thought.

_Green._

Green eyes.

Two of the biggest fucking green eyes Levi had ever seen.  Or were they blue?  He really wasn’t sure, the darkness of the room made them rather hard to make out.  After a handful of seconds he was able to take a metaphoric step backwards and come to the realization that those eyes belonged to a rather smug looking _kid_ , with a mop of brown hair falling into said eyes and around his ears.

No matter how pretty he was, Levi already wanted to wipe that irritating smirk off his face.

“So what if I was?” he replied in a low voice.  The small (or not so small, who was he kidding) sadistic side of him enjoyed the wavering of the kid’s shit-eating grin as he took in the ice in Levi’s glare.  

It only lasted a moment though, before his cocky smile made a full reappearance.  “Well if that’s how you really want to spend your evening, by all means go ahead.”

Levi took in that smirk, and teal – _teal_ – eyes that simply seemed to smoulder in the low lighting, and a pair of thick, expressive brows, slanting down in a way that was almost exotic.  He let his gaze wander down lazily; a slender neck and a slim frame, narrow shoulders tapering down to even narrower hips. The kid wore a green shirt with a deep vee reaching down to the middle of his chest, sporting laces across the opening that looked like they had been pulled loose, along with a pair of tight brown trousers.  He was thin but lightly muscled, and looked to have a few inches on Levi at least.  His gangly-ness indicated he had room to grow still; the thought settled uneasily in the pit of his stomach.      

“Let me guess,” drawled Levi, once again meeting the kid’s eyes with his own.  “You can offer me some better entertainment?” 

“I _could_ …” the kid purred with a tilt of his head, and leaned along the side of the bar, “…if you got the money for it.”

Levi sat back in his chair, feigning consideration.  Of course he knew the boy was for sale, he wasn’t born yesterday.  He knew how these things worked. 

“How old are you, kid?”

Levi could tell by the sharp way the boy’s eyebrows drew together that it was an unexpected question.  And interestingly, a seemingly unwelcome one. 

“I’m not a kid,” the boy nearly growled, bristling like a cat that had its tail stepped on.  He was clearly a proud young thing.  “And why does that even matter?”

Levi said nothing.  He stared at the youth in a manner he knew would be perceived as apathetic, until Levi noticed a pretty flush spreading across his cheeks and the tips of his ears.

“I’m eighteen.”

“Bullshit.”  The boy’s face twisted into a proper scowl now, eyes alight with anger.  _Fuck, what a little firecracker._

“It’s true!  And who the hell do you think you are, calling me a liar?”

Levi just stared, until the kid huffed out a loud sigh.

“How could you tell?” 

The only change in Levi’s expression was the arch of an eyebrow.  “You’ve got a face like an open book, kid.”     

The boy’s nostrils flared, and Levi thought for a second the brat was going to try to hit him.  After a poor attempt at glaring Levi into submission, the youth let out another put upon sigh and broke eye contact, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“Fine.  I’m sixteen – you happy now?”

Levi had expected as much, but he felt his stomach plummet all the same.   _Still so young…_

He picked up his glass of whiskey by the rim with all five fingers, and knocked back the rest of his drink.  “Sorry kid, but I think you’re a bit too young for me.”

“ _What?_ ” The boy was clearly annoyed.  “That’s funny, because men twice your age seem to have no problem fucking me.”

“Then they’re fucking pigs,” Levi bit out, turning once again to face the boy only to be met with wide green eyes.  But shock at Levi’s outburst morphed to outrage in an instant.

“What, you think they’re taking advantage of me?  They aren’t, not by a fucking long shot.  It’s _my_ body, and I do what I like with it.”        

There seemed to be a rather crazed desperation about him; it seemed as though Levi could physically _feel_ the kid’s will shoving at him, refusing to be ignored.  But of course, that’s what they all said, to create an illusion of choice – of freedom. 

But what did any of them really know about ‘freedom’ anyway?

A very, very small part of him (the part he desperately wished he could silence tonight) was alarmed, raising waves of horrific memories from another life into his consciousness.  But as he stared into those bright teal eyes, almost hypnotizing in their conviction, he found the strength to snuff out such dark thoughts as if they were weak flames clinging to the remnants of a wick. 

This lovely, fiery creature had given his consent, and Levi would honour it.

“Alright,” he said in a soft voice.  “If you’ll allow it, I will have you.”

Brows that were narrowed in anger suddenly shot up in surprise, and those eyes got impossibly wider.  The youth was caught off-guard for only a moment, and Levi could glimpse without fail the true boyish innocence that he still possessed.  At any other time he might have been slightly charmed by this, were it not for his raging libido. 

And as if their little disagreement had never been, the kid’s mouth spread into a lazy smile as he leered suggestively at Levi, his body relaxing once again against the bar.

“Good answer.”  He reached for Levi’s hand, the boy’s own smooth, dry, and seemingly hot to the touch.

He led Levi through the crowds towards the back corner of the room.  Levi couldn’t help but notice the way many of the bar patrons stared after the kid as they passed by.

They approached a large oaken door, and an extremely tall young man standing beside it.  The way he was sizing Levi up said that he was a guard of sorts, which was surprising.  Levi had never encountered a whorehouse that employed any sort of security for its prostitutes.  He supposed brothels on the surface did things a bit differently than he was used to.

_Interesting._

With a polite nod to the kid, the guard opened the door for them.  The boy gave him a flirtatious smile in thanks before tugging Levi through.  As they passed, Levi didn’t miss the deep flush that quickly spread across the other man’s cheeks.

The kid led him into a darkly lit hallway, and up a set of winding stairs.  Wood paneling covered the floors as well as the walls, so Levi could hear the creaking of their footsteps – in addition to the rustling of the other residents.  Once they reached the top of the stairs the boy steered him left, and around several different corners. 

Finally they reached a room at the end of a long corridor.  The boy reached into his shirt to pull out a key that hung around his neck.  He unlocked the door and pushed it open, gesturing for Levi to enter first.  He did so, and the kid was quick to close and lock the door behind him. 

“So,” the kid began, once he was satisfied that the door was securely fastened, “before we get on to the fun stuff, let’s talk about payment.” 

“Fine.” 

The boy eyed him closely, as if he was trying to size up how much Levi was worth.  “How much are you willing to pay?”    

Levi stifled the urge to sigh – patience was never one of his better qualities.  “Cut the crap brat, I’m not haggling with you.  Name your price and I’ll pay it.”

Those eyes widened in surprise – or disbelief? – before they zeroed in on Levi’s once again, as if searching for any sign of trickery.  Levi’s expression remained as impassive as ever, much to the boy’s frustration.  After a few moments though, the kid seemed satisfied with what he saw.

“Fifty gold coins.”

“Done.” 

Green eyes became impossibly bigger as his mouth fell open.  Levi didn’t blame him – fifty gold coins was a steep price for a whore.  A very steep price.  Underground, prostitutes were lucky if they were given five for a trick – more often than not they were given silver, or even bronze coins.  Hardly anything of value.

But Levi had come prepared.  He had a modest sum saved up from all of his years serving the Survey Corps, but with no family and no desire for anything beyond the bare necessities, he had plenty of money to spare.  

Not that this kid needed to know that.  So maybe he had let the brat decide his own pay out of the kindness of his heart, or whatever was left of it anyway, but there was certainly a limit to his generosity. 

As if sensing his thoughts, said brat let out a disbelieving huff of laughter.  “Hmmm… maybe I should have asked for more.”  And the absurd way he then waggled his eyebrows was most definitely _not_ endearing.  Absolutely not.

“I don’t recall saying there would be any re-negotiation.  You named your price and I agreed.”

He didn’t bother trying to smooth over the irritation in his voice.  The kid looked like he was going to keep trying to push his luck, but whatever he saw on Levi’s face discouraged him.

“By the way, you should know kissing will cost a bit extra.”  He then gave a good batting of his eyelashes and a flirtatious smile, as if to make the additional investment more appealing.

Levi rolled his eyes.  “Thanks, but I’m good kid.”

The boy’s eyes rounded to match a well-rehearsed pout.  “Aww, are you sure?  I’ll make it worth every penny.”   

Levi was silent as he turned to shrug off his jacket, and laid it across a chair.  After a few moments he faced the boy again, who was studying him with a slightly puzzled expression.

“Well, are we going to get started?  I haven’t got all night, brat.”

The kid scrunched up his nose.  “Why?  Is it already past your bed time, old man?”  Almost the instant the words left his mouth, regret manifested itself into shock onto his pretty face, his lips pressing into a hard line.     

Levi’s eyes narrowed, mouth twisting into a scowl.  Although he felt a tad guilty, he couldn’t help his annoyance, the cheeky bastard.  After all, the boy only looked partially cowed – another part of him seemed like he enjoyed riling Levi up.     

“Take off your clothes,” Levi barked as the boy instantly scrambled to obey, those wide green eyes remaining fixed on him, before crossing the room to the rather large bed that clearly dominated the space. 

Levi reached into his boot and fished out a large pouch.  He counted out fifty golden coins, and laid them in the little wicker basket suggestively placed on the table near the door.

When he made his way over to the bed, he was greeted with the sight of the boy already laid out on the sheets – completely naked.  He didn’t realize the kid would be done so quickly, and practically froze mid-step in his surprise.  Levi greedily drank in the picture before him, all tanned skin and long limbs, trying to mentally absorb all of him at once but finding the task damn near impossible.  And all the while the kid stared with glowing eyes and a self-satisfied smirk, obviously aware of his own beauty.  But oh, he did look quite lovely like that.  Levi was sure if someone were to replicate the image before him into a proper painting, all the nobility in the Capital would tear each other to shreds trying to get their hands on it.   

“Come here.”  Levi’s command rang out like the crack of a whip, made contradictory by the softness of his voice.  And like a great cat, the boy unwound his limbs from the bed and slunk over to stand in front of Levi, as if in a trance.  He stared down at Levi in anticipation, his expression a bit dazed. 

At first Levi did nothing.  Nothing except _stare_ , with such an intensity that nearly had the kid squirming from the weight of it.  Levi took in his still-rounded jawline, his slender neck and broad shoulders _– which will only get broader as he grows_ his mind supplied greedily _–_ his taut but not overly muscular stomach, the narrowness of his hips, the sharpness of his hipbones.  His long, lovely cock that was already half hard.  Upon meeting the kid’s eyes again he was greeted with blown pupils and a thin ring of teal around the outside; apparently he enjoyed being looked at.  Of course, that was obvious by the way he’d been acting all night.  But Levi wanted to prove his hypothesis correct, and it seemed like he hit the metaphorical bullseye.

He made an act out of slowly circling the boy, admiring the muscles of his back and his perky little ass.  Levi was nearly overwhelmed with the desire to give it a smart smack, but he managed to restrain himself.  _There would be time for that later._ The kid tried to turn his head round to watch him, but Levi was taking his sweet time.  It was strange – his earlier impatience to get this over and done with had all but disappeared.  He really _had_ forgotten, after all this time, that it could be like this with someone else.  The excitement, the anticipation … the _desire_.  That, combined with the fact that the Survey Corps were due for another reconnaissance mission outside Wall Rose in a few days, and for all Levi knew, this could be his last romp before his soul was finally on its way to hell.  So he was going to make it fucking count.

He finally came to the boy’s front, placing a hand lightly on the kid’s shoulder and dragging the pads of his fingertips down his bicep.  Levi was rewarded with a stuttering little gasp – goose pimples erupted on the boys’ skin, making the hairs on his arm stand on end.  He moved his fingers up and down the kid’s arm a few times, while the boy watched on with wide, enraptured eyes.  Every few moments his body would tremble with a small shudder – delicate, matching the softness of Levi’s touches.  He could hear the boy’s breaths getting louder, and decided to move his hand from his arm to the kid’s chest.  Now his touch was exploratory, feeling across hard pectoral muscles and smooth, tanned skin, then swooping down lower over his abs, his hipbone, and then up along his side.  With this the kid really did squirm; Levi made an amused sound through his nose.

“Ticklish, are we?”          

 “Maybe,” the boy replied breathlessly, his voice sounding higher than before.  Another gasp was pulled from him when Levi brushed the pads of his thumbs over the kid’s nipples, his back arching forward into the touch. 

This kid and his reactions were completely delicious, and Levi was feeling greedy.  He tilted his head downwards a touch and closed his mouth around one of the hardened nubs.  Almost immediately he gave a soft cry, his hands coming up to clutch at Levi’s shoulders as if to prevent him from stopping. 

Levi froze almost instantly, and reached back to take the kid’s wrists in an iron grip, pulling his hands away. 

“Did I give you permission to touch me?” he growled, glaring daggers into widened teal eyes.  Though Levi thought he could see traces of fear and excitement in his expression, there were also traces of deference there. 

The boy lowered his gaze to Levi’s own chest.  “No sir,” he murmured in a low voice.  Levi’s right arm snaked around the boy’s waist, while his other hand reached up to roll the other nipple between his fingers.

Levi felt an almost violent rush of heat pool between his legs as the kid keened again, bowing towards him as if being pulled by some invisible force.  He took his time teasing the boy, roving his hands over his chest, up and down his sides, and across his back – using his mouth every so often to wring out a surprised gasp or two.  The boy swayed where he stood, shuddering delicately under Levi’s ministrations, all the while keeping his hands bunched into tight fists at his side.

After a particularly hard nip at his collarbone, the kid leaned forward with a moan, trying to rut himself against Levi’s leg.  A disappointed _tch_ was the only warning the boy received before Levi grasped a handful of his hair and _pulled_ , forcing the boy off and away from him.          

He let out a startled cry of protest, teal eyes shooting open wide at the suddenness of it.  Despite being bent at an awkward angle he still reached for Levi, almost as if on an impulse, his face open and pleading.

“I still don’t recall allowing you to touch me.” Levi’s voice was firm and cold as he gave the kid’s head a little shake for emphasis.  Despite the roughness, the boy’s eyes were black pools surrounded by a thin ring of green.  He stared at Levi with such intense focus, like all his thought and will in that moment was bent on him.  Levi could almost feel the weight of it too, settling low and deep in his belly. 

“Please,” the kid nearly whispered, all prior arrogance and haughty pride gone from his expression.  Earnest desire prompted him now, without a shadow of a doubt.

“Please, can I touch you?”     

 Levi only stared.  His grip on the boy’s hair had loosened a bit, fingers moving in circles onto the boy’s scalp.  The kid’s eyelids fluttered in pleasure as he sighed, his body beginning to sag forward.  After a few moments of listening to the kid hum and pant, Levi released him.

“Get on the bed.”

The youth wasted no time in doing as he was told, Levi’s eyes not missing a single movement.  Despite his long, gangly libs that he clearly hadn’t quite grown into yet, the kid had a surprising sort of grace about him.  

He now sat kneeling on the bed, looking up at Levi expectantly with those massive turquoise eyes.  Even in the room’s low-lighting, he could still appreciate the lovely golden brown of the boy’s skin, perfectly smooth and unblemished.  His cock stood straight and proud along his belly, still red and untouched.

“How do you want me?” he asked with a coy smile, voice husky and verging on breathless. 

“Lay back onto the pillows.”  Levi made sure to lower his own voice this time – and the youth nearly shuddered with it.       

He couldn’t believe he’d gone so long without this….this _power_ he could hold over another.  Something above violence and fear, driven by another’s desire as well as his own.  It was an intoxicating feeling, to say the least.

Levi began unbuttoning his shirt – the kid’s eyes never leaving him as he maneuvered himself to Levi’s liking, laying with his legs bent at the knees so as to observe Levi between them.  With his head propped up on the numerous pillows adorning the head of the bed, the boy watched greedily as Levi folded and hung his shirt across a chair, along with his jacket.  Facing the youth, Levi started unbuckling his trousers.  The boy’s eyes roved hungrily over his now bare torso, one of his hands drifting toward his cock. 

Levi narrowed his eyes and made a sharp sound of disapproval.  _No touching_.  After meeting his eyes for no more than a few seconds, the kid let out a frustrated whine before slamming his arms down at his sides and grabbing fistfuls of his comforter. 

 _So impatient._  

Levi snorted softly.  “Good boy.”  A small, pleased smile bloomed across the boy’s face at the praise.       

Levi swept off his trousers and undergarments with military efficiency, along with his socks and boots, and hung them alongside his shirt.  He approached the bed once more, the kid shamelessly staring at the heaviness between his legs.

“What’s the matter, never seen a cock before?”

The boy huffed out a surprised laugh, his face growing a lovely tinge of pink as he met Levi’s eyes.

“Not one nearly as pretty as yours.”  His teeth flashed as he grinned, obviously quite pleased with himself.

Levi fought the urge to roll his eyes.  Did he spew this typical garbage any time a guy threw a couple coins at him?

“I think you need to work on your pillow talk.”  Despite the dimness of the room, he could make out how furiously the boy’s ears reddened.  

Levi leaned forward over the bed, planting his hands down on the mattress.  “I wonder,” he purred, “will you still think my dick’s pretty after I’m done with you?”

Something dark within him shifted and hissed as the kid’s flustered smile died, his eyes glazing over and mouth drooping slightly.  Bringing his knees up onto the bed, Levi began to crawl towards the boy.  “I don’t think that ‘pretty’ will be the first word that comes to mind,” he said, rather conversationally, enjoying the way the boy’s face morphed into an expression of eagerness and urgency as he realized Levi’s intentions.  He spread his legs even wider for him, his knuckles white where his hands still lay fisted at his sides.

Levi took his time crawling between the kid’s knees and up his body, revelling in the way the boy was already squirming underneath him, eyes alight with excitement and desire.  So far he was performing perfectly, providing everything that Levi had anticipated from this encounter.   

He slid his right palm along the inside of the boy’s inner thigh, closing his mouth on that curve that joined neck to shoulder.  Judging by the kid’s shrill keen, he’d found a rather sensitive spot.  Levi continued mouthing there, alternating between the soft swipes of his lips and carnal brutality of his teeth, his hand firmly pushing the boy’s leg up so his knee pressed against his chest.  Not for any particular reason – but because he _could_.  He had this lovely, lithe thing beneath him, ready, willing, and pliant, seeming more than content to have Levi manipulate his body in whatever way he liked – within reason, of course. 

The kid was making such exquisite sounds with nearly every touch, he almost snapped at the brat to stop overdoing it so much, were it not for the fact that they did sound so genuine – like the boy was having a hard time keeping his wits about him. 

But he was being paid to act as such in any case, and Levi didn’t care to analyze the youth closely enough to determine if his reactions were one hundred percent authentic.  On the surface, Levi felt desired – and that was all he really needed.

Levi stuck his nose into the crook of the kid’s neck and inhaled – he smelled fucking _delicious_.  Like cinnamon, nutmeg, some woodsy smell – and something else he couldn’t quite put a name to.  Clean, sweet and… exotic, almost.  That, and the sounds of the boy losing himself in his impatience were slowly driving him mad.

As a reward for such sweet noises, Levi pulled the boy’s leg up and over his hip.  Immediately he felt those powerful muscles tighten around him, pulling him even closer still.  With a frustrated whine, the kid bucked his hips up into him, no doubt seeking any bit of friction he could get.

Levi let out a low gasp as he felt their cocks rub together, a sharp pang of arousal shooting right through the depths of his belly.  The boy moaned loudly, back arching, before shoving his hips up again. 

“Please”, he panted right next to Levi’s ear, hands twisting into his comforter.  “Oh, _please_.” 

And that desperation was enough to finally push him into action.  Levi was no longer in a teasing mood, all of his lust and blinding want rearing inside him like a great, winged beast.   

He was going to fuck this kid into oblivion.

Levi roughly grabbed the boy’s other thigh and lifted his leg so that it also draped over his hip.  The kid’s moan of relief raised sharply in pitch as well as volume when Levi _ground_ his hips down into him. 

“Yesss,” the boy gasped, as Levi rocked into him again, and again, and again.   _God_ , dry humping was so fucking juvenile, but Levi couldn’t have cared less in that moment.  The kid’s desperation was contagious, and Levi found himself seeking a closeness that no amount of rutting would ever fulfill.  But still he tried, relishing in the superficial pleasure of skin on skin contact.  

So consumed was Levi by the heat, the sweet scent of the youth under him, the slick feeling of their bodies moving together, and his own unconscious growling, that he almost failed to notice the kid’s arms hooking underneath his own to grasp him by his shoulders.  Completely encircled by the boy now, Levi neither had the willpower or the desire to remind the youth that he hadn’t rescinded his order not to be touched.

But at this point, he honestly didn’t give a fuck. 

After a few more blind thrusts of his hips, Levi reached a hand between the two of them, encircling it firmly around both of their lengths.  The boy let out another devastated sound, throwing his head back against the pillow, exposing the gorgeous curve of his neck.  Levi pounced almost instantly, burying his teeth into the kid’s throat.  The boy howled with it, digging his fingernails into Levi’s shoulder blades as he worked his hand along them both, his heavy panting music to Levi’s ears. 

And finally, _finally_ , Levi released them, sliding his fingers underneath the kid’s balls to rub against his entrance.

Levi felt the stuttering gasp ricochet through the body beneath him.  “Yes,” the boy crooned sweetly, mindlessly, in his ear. “Yes, yes, _yes_.  Fuck me already.”

And because Levi wasn’t _that_ far gone so as to allow such impudence, he once again let the boy feel the punishment of his teeth – as well as giving him a much needed smack across his upturned ass.  Judging by the sound following soon after, he didn’t really think the boy considered it punishment after all. 

Levi brought his hand up to the boy’s face, brushing his thumb over his plump lower lip.  The kid stared up at him with those gorgeous eyes, hazy and unfocused, as he laid his index and middle fingers right across the boy’s mouth.  The kid got the hint and took the digits in his mouth, never breaking his stare as he sucked and swirled his tongue around and around.

Levi then realized how long it must have been since he’d last had any kind of physical intimacy when his eyelids fluttered at the sensation of the kid’s mouth on him.  His cock was painfully hard now, an angry red and leaking pre-come between them, and he nearly fucking _whimpered_ when felt the brat’s teeth dig into his skin.  He ripped his hand away with an annoyed _tch_ , while that fucking kid grinned slyly, mischief alight in his eyes. 

Even now, after all Levi had done to take him apart, he remained fiery and defiant.  And perhaps it was driving Levi a little bit mad.

Without further preamble, Levi slid his hand down between the boy’s legs, his arms falling down from Levi’s shoulders as he lifted himself up slightly, and pressed the tip of his finger inside him.  The kid yelped, hips jerking up in surprise.  Levi felt a satisfied smirk pull at his mouth as he worked his finger further inside, cataloguing every sound and facial expression the boy made – and he was fascinating to watch.  Long eyelashes swept down across his cheeks, mouth open in silent ecstasy – save for his heavy panting.      

Soon Levi added a second finger, which had the boy’s back arching off the bed.             

“Come on, pet,” Levi murmured, “Let me hear you sing for me.”  The kid loosed another high-pitched moan at the ceiling, Levi groaning with him, like every sound the boy made was a narcotic shooting straight into his veins.  Levi’s blood _thundered_ with it – with _him_.  This delicious fucking brat.

He tried to make rather quick work of it without hurting the kid, scissoring his fingers and working him open little by little.  The kid whimpered and thrashed under him, and thankfully did not seem to be in any pain. Levi was grateful for this.  He thought for sure his balls would fall off at this point if he had to stop altogether. 

But when he crooked his finger just so, and twisted his wrist just a little, the boy made a little strangled sound, eyes rolling back in his head.  He tested the same spot again, rubbing only gently, and the kid made a noise _so fucking loud_ that everyone in the building must have heard.  Levi went for it again to see what other sorts of things he could wring out of this beauty, when the boy’s faltering gasps had him coming up short.

“Ahh… _ahh_ …. I think I’m going to…”

_For fuck’s sake… really?_

Almost immediately Levi withdrew his fingers, wiping them on the comforter as the brat cried out in protest. Levi extricated himself from the kid’s long limbs so he could better reach the bedside drawer, and almost laughed at the wild, affronted glare the kid levelled at him, teal eyes narrowed.

“Calm down”, he huffed, grabbing a jar of lubricant and a condom from the dresser and settling once again between the boy’s thighs.  “I’ll have you screaming again soon enough.”

The kid’s mouth closed with an audible click, his cheeks burning well past the point of simple exertion.

Without wasting another breath, Levi scooted backwards and grabbed the boy by the hips, abruptly flipping him over onto his belly.  He laughed softly through his nose as the kid let out an undignified squawk, getting his arms under himself and pushing himself onto all fours.  Sliding a teasing finger across the boy’s entrance brought him instantly to heel, his moan loud and desperate as he pushed his hips backwards into Levi.

Levi shoved him forwards again with a brutal thrust of his hips, one hand pushing down between the kid’s shoulder blades to bend him over.  

“Stay”, he growled.

The boy practically shook in front of him as he rolled the condom over himself, coating himself liberally with lubricant to avoid hurting the boy as much as possible.  And finally, _finally_ , he nudged the kid’s legs further apart, grabbed him roughly by his hipbones and pressed the head of his cock to the boy’s entrance.

The kid made a sound that seemed to be a gasp as well as a sigh, arching his back and pushing back against Levi. 

Levi stilled, staring at the beautiful expanse of golden skin laid out before him. 

“You will tell me if I’m hurting you,” he murmured, massaging his thumbs into the boy’s sides.

“Yes,” came the breathless reply, the kid squirming wildly in his impatience.  Satisfied, Levi began to slowly ease himself inside the boy.  A rumbling groan spilled out of him as he was enveloped in a wet, tight heat, every instinct screaming at him to just _take take take_.  But he moved slowly, allowing the boy time to adjust to his size, and practically trembled with the effort. 

It took no time at all before the kid was moaning senselessly, breathing hard along the sensation of being stretched even further, but thankfully there was no distress that Levi could detect.

Finally, he was fully seated.  The boy felt perfect around him, hugging tight around his cock like a second skin.

“Fuck”, he growled reverently, pulling out just a little but before slamming his hips forward again.  The kid cried out, throwing his head back in pleasure.  And so Levi did it again.

Now that he was reassured of the boy’s willingness, Levi decided to let go.  For the first time in a while, the control over himself that he so coveted slipped away – and was instead replaced by pure instinct.  By his desire – and then he began fucking the kid in earnest. 

The next thing he knew, he had one hand fisted into the boy’s dark chestnut hair, holding his head down as he pounded into him over and over and over again, the friction too delicious for words.  He swore and cursed the youth under him for bringing about such primitive madness, throwing his head back and moaning along with the sensations that barreled through him so fiercly.  The sounds he wrung out of the kid only stoked his need, each one sending a pulse of arousal deeper and deeper into his belly.      

Levi needed to be closer, so he molded his front over the boy’s back, inhaling the sweet smell of his skin while his other hand reached underneath and closed over the kid’s cock.

He gave a loud yelp, and began bucking forwards and backwards erratically as if he couldn’t decide which sensation he wanted most.  His desperation wrung another growl out of Levi, his hips and hand both increasing in their rhythm.  The harsh slapping sound of skin against skin was music to Levi’s ears, as were the kid’s moans and whimpers.  Each sound seemed to be getting higher and higher in pitch, until no more than hoarse whines were escaping him. 

Finally, another sharp twist of Levi’s wrist had the kid practically screaming as he came, spilling his seed over Levi’s hand and onto his comforter.  A great shudder took him then as Levi’s hand returned to his other hip, fingernails biting deep into the skin there.

He jerked the boy back hard against him as he rocked into him, a stream of animalistic growls humming out from deep within his chest.  _God,_ he was so close now…

Levi bit his lip, throwing his head back, lost for a moment as his hips snapped forward, over and over and over again, each time seemingly more forceful than the last.  The kid, so warm and fucking tight, absolutely pliant beneath him, letting Levi just use him mercilessly like this –

His vision whited out.  A hoarse cry escaped him as he came, his body rippling with the absolute ecstasy of it all. Panting harshly, his arms shook with the effort of preventing him from pitching his dead weight onto the kid’s back.  The boy was quiet now, save for the evening out of his breaths as he came down from his own high. 

Still in a daze, Levi gingerly went about pulling out of the boy, murmuring a rough apology when the boy let out a pained whimper as he did so.  Grimacing, he rolled off the condom and disposed of it in the rubbish bin beside the nightstand.  The kid was beginning to come back to himself as Levi went to fetch a nearby towel, slowly rousing himself out of his post-orgasmic haze.  Cleaning himself up as best he could, Levi then threw the cloth onto the bed beside the still prone boy lying on his stomach. 

Levi couldn’t help the small amount of pride he felt by reducing the kid to such a state. Until he noticed the angry marks left on the boy’s hips, and suddenly he felt like the worst sort of hypocrite alive.

But regardless of the moral consequences concerning what he’d just done, Levi ultimately did what he came here to do.  It was time to head back to HQ.

He was just doing up his belt when the kid finally said something.

“Where are you going?”

Levi looked up to find the boy watching him over his shoulder, green eyes bright in the darkness of the room.

“I need to leave.  People will start wondering where I am.”

The kid smirked, arching an eyebrow.  “By ‘people’, do you mean your wife?”

Levi barked out a laugh – if it could be called such a thing.  There was not an ounce of humour in the sound.

“No,” he replied in a strangely detached voice, “I’m not married.”          

“Oh,” the kid said softly.  Levi was only half paying attention as he did up the buttons of his shirt. 

“So who exactly will be missing you then?”  

Levi stared at the boy again, who now sat kneeling on the bed.  A few moments ticked by, the youth practically fidgeting under the force of Levi’s irritation.

“You’re a nosy brat, you know that?” Levi snipped. 

The kid gave a soft, self-depreciating smile – so different from the haughtiness of earlier.  “Sorry, I don’t get out much.”    

“You don’t say,” Levi grumbled, tugging his boots on over his socks.

The boy looked down at his hands fisting into the comforter, the tips of his ears turning scarlet.  “Well, you know,” he began, his voice even quieter now, “…you don’t have to go right away, if you don’t want to.”  He met Levi’s eyes again, cheeks flushing pinker as Levi’s eyebrow rose.  “You… you can stay, for a little while.  Or the night, even.  If you want.”  He looked away again, suddenly finding his fingernails absolutely fascinating.

The sudden shyness and stammering may have immediately enthralled a desperate, weaker man, but Levi had seen this song and dance before.  And he wasn’t really in the mood to be pressed for more money.  Besides, he wasn’t lying when he said he would be missed.  He had a feeling that Erwin may want to share a few things with him regarding tomorrow’s preparations; that blond oaf was the walking definition of paranoia.     

But, as far as the Scouts were concerned, Erwin Smith was well worth his weight in gold.

“Sorry kiddo.  Duty calls.” 

Then suddenly, the boy just seemed to light up.  His posture straightened, eyes shining as his mouth formed an awed gasp.  “You’re a soldier, aren’t you?” he breathed, practically vibrating with excitement.  “I knew it.  From the Survey Corps, right?  Oh, tell me I’m right!”

If Levi thought bruising up the kid was bad…this was infinitely worse.  Textbook hero worship – the way the kid was staring at him just now like he could shoot lightning bolts out of his ass.  But this brat, with his huge fucking jewel eyes, looked at him now with such intensity, such reverence and a desire that was more than a little frightening in its strength and had no fucking place in this room, at this time.  In this place.

He needed to get out of here. 

“Thanks for the fuck, kid,” he said, immediately turning to the door to avoid watching the boy’s face fall.  Levi all but hurtled himself down the hallway after slamming the door behind him, praying to whatever gods existed that the kid didn’t come after him.  He was a nice enough brat, but Levi was most definitely not in the spirit for opening that particular can of worms tonight.     

All things considered, his stint as a normal, horny civilian was rather nice while it lasted.

But the grim reality of his life was never more than a few steps away.  And people who cared about him always ended up dead.

Two days later, he found himself charging into the now Titan-infested lands within Wall Maria on the right side of Erwin Smith, leading hundreds of soldiers into what would most likely be their last day in this world.  And as the first Titan came into view, barreling towards them in a grotesque parody of a run, huge limbs bent and swaying, sporting a dead, blunt-toothed smile, a single image careened headlong into his brain that consumed him almost entirely in that moment.

 _Green eyes_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this story, as well as the story itself, was inspired by the movie Moulin Rouge \- aka one of my most favourite movies of all time ^.^


	2. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again everyone!! I'm so so incredibly sorry for the delay in updating. There have been a lot of things going on in my personal life that have made it difficult for me to write, but I persevered! Thank you so much for your patience, and once again any comments or feedback will be much appreciated! Enjoy xox

 

 _You know better babe,_  
_Than to look at it like that._  
_You know better babe,_  
_Than to talk to it like that._

 _Don't give it a hand, offer it a soul,_  
_Honey, make this easy._  
_Leave it to the land, this is what it knows,_  
_Honey, that's how it sleeps._

\- Hozier,  _It Will Come Back_

 

~)*(~

 

Erwin had been less than pleased when Levi finally made it back to headquarters.

He’d ridden hard for little more than an hour as the Survey Corps former base lay just due north of Trost – an outlier district of Wall Rose.  With the entirety of Wall Maria’s territory lost to the Titans, Trost had become the new outpost from which they ventured out on their reconnaissance missions.  With Shiganshina obviously no longer available to them, Trost became their new gateway to hell on earth. 

Once upon a time, the castle currently serving as the Scouts’ base camp was the home of a snot-nosed aristocrat – a man whose name Levi couldn’t be bothered to remember.  But it had been abandoned long before the fall of Shiganshina and Wall Maria, and now no doubt served a much more worthwhile purpose in housing the Survey Corps.

And it was in this old, damp, creaky castle that Erwin had waited for him, holed up in his office like the overworked hermit he was.

“Where did you disappear to?” he asked as Levi let himself inside, sounding decidedly unimpressed as he shuffled through his mountains of paperwork.  “I asked around, and not one of the squad leaders seemed to have any idea.”

Levi sighed.  He had an inkling that Erwin would be on his ass about this, judging by the amount of nervous recruits that had approached him, stammering out that the Commander required his presence.

“I was in Trost.”       

Erwin looked up at him then, one eyebrow arched.  “Trost?  And what possessed you to go there?”

Levi huffed again, irritated. 

“What does it matter?”  And under his breath – “…nosy bastard.”

His superior let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head.  “It must have been of some significance, judging by your reluctance to tell me.  And you’re behaving unusually testily for this time of evening.” 

“Oh, shut up.”

Erwin only smiled, settling back into his chair.  “Whatever it is Levi, you know you can tell me.  I won’t judge you.”

Levi knew.  And if anyone were to understand his need to get away and lose himself if only for a little while, it would be Erwin.

“I went to a whorehouse.” 

That got him a rise out of both massive eyebrows.  Clearly, whatever Erwin had been expecting… that definitely wasn’t it. 

“Which one?”

Levi blinked.  “What?”

“Which brothel was it?”

“Oh, fuck if I know.  It was a higher class one, not far from the north gate – a few streets over from the market square.  Why?”

“Was there a bird of some kind pictured on the signs outside?  A bird wreathed in flames?”

Actually, now that he mentioned it…

“Yeah, there was.”  Levi leaned on the door behind him, inspecting his fingernails.  “You been there before?”

“Yes, a few times.  It’s known as the _Phoenix;_  some of the squad leaders and myself had been known to stop in there from time to time in our earlier years.  Personally, I never took part in the ‘entertainment’ exactly, while some of my colleagues did.  But they do have an expansive selection of vintages I’m rather fond of – and their haddock is quite nice.”

Levi fought the urge to roll his eyes.  Erwin was such a pretentious cock sometimes.

“More importantly, the current madam is a contact of mine.  You can imagine the kind of gossip one can pick up in a brothel, what with all the Garrison soldiers and various merchants making frequent visits.  They’ve even been known to play host to the odd MP officer every so often.”    

“Walls save me – is there anywhere in this fucking kingdom where you haven’t planted you’re tendrils, you absolute snake.”  Anyone else may have mistaken Levi’s teasing for genuine hostility, given nothing but the straight, serious set of his brows, his mouth set in a routine scowl.

 But Erwin Smith was as intuitive as they come.  His answering smirk said just as much. 

“You know, usually people experience a release of tension after sex.  Why doesn’t it surprise me that the opposite still seems to be the case for you.”

“Erwin, I swear to fucking god.  Show me the damned plans for tomorrow already or I’m leaving.”

~)*(~

The mission, as Levi had predicted, had been a complete and utter shitshow.

It was not an overly ambitious operation in Levi’s opinion, though it served as part of a much larger goal that the Scouts had been working toward for the last few years. 

This time around, it wasn’t exactly intelligence on the Titans that they were seeking.  Erwin believed that they could one day eventually reclaim Wall Maria, though the overarching plans hadn’t exactly been hashed out yet.  This was mostly due to the fact that they did not currently possess the technology to quickly repair the walls themselves, never mind transporting a decently sized troop to the sites of the holes to conduct the repairs. 

Today’s mission was simple.  Initiate Erwin’s own scouting formation to minimize confrontations with Titans, and to start paving the long way to Maria by setting down various supplies along the route.  Gas canisters, perishable food packs, spare swords, medical supplies, wire. 

Or, it was _supposed_ to be simple.  These things always seemed so on paper.

They’d managed to get to the second checkpoint without any major incidents.  Titans were spotted in the distance, but the use of the flares prevented any direct confrontations.  The fifth checkpoint was the main target, and if things went well, they would try to push for the sixth.

Miraculously, they managed to reach the small former village that constituted checkpoint five in good time.  They were in a very decent place overall when the newer recruits hastily began unloading their supplies.  Time was of the absolute essence.

But eventually, of course, shit was going to hit the fan.             

Two abnormals – both over ten metres – had come upon them in the blink of an eye, and took out about fifteen soldiers before anyone could scream. 

After that, it was mayhem. 

Levi was upon the first one in seconds, disposing of it as quickly as he could, while Mike and his squad tackled the other.  Below them, he could hear Erwin screaming out for everyone to regroup as flares littered the sky.  As his abnormal toppled over, Levi finally noticed, from his spot in midair, the horrifying number of Titans that were quickly closing in on them from all directions, obviously attracted to the commotion they were causing.  Fear swooped low and sharp in his gut has he descended, joining the rest of the troops on the ground.  It was a small manner of vaulting onto his horse, then rushing headlong into the command squad – his own squad had dispersed some time ago.

“Erwin!” he shouted, his voice nearly lost amongst all the screaming.  Nevertheless Levi managed to pick out his blond head as he sought out Levi’s voice. 

“We’re completely fucking surrounded!” he rasped as he pulled up beside his Commander.  “We all need to leave now, or we’re dead.”       

Erwin only nodded once, taking in Levi’s wide-eyed panic.  “Send out the flares, all of you!” he barked.

The majority of the soldiers began reforming the group as Erwin led them back, the air around them exploding with blue smoke.  Levi found himself galloping to the back of the lines, trying to corral any stragglers to safety. 

Unfortunately for most, he was too late.

Whipping through the air like a hurricane, he tore apart two Titans that were going after a cluster of the new recruits, snarling and howling his rage as his blades sliced through skin like hot knives through butter.  His fear and fury drove him onwards, seeing nothing but blinding red as he twisted through the air.  From his periphery he saw Petra and Oruo strike down a third.  Once the nearby Titans were down, five soldiers were left to follow Erwin and the others.  Levi saw how they barely clung on to their horses as they left the carnage behind them, faces crumpled and mouths twisted into sobs.

“Come on, hurry up!  You can mourn after we make it back to HQ.  Now pull yourselves together and RIDE!”  His bellow seemed to carry over to them, if the hollowed “Yes sir!”s were anything to go by.         

By some miracle, they managed to catch up to the rest of the formation.  Although, it was laughable to call it a ‘formation’ at this point as all order was practically lost.  Some of the vets kept the flare signals up as best as they could to avoid any further attacks; this was what most likely saved them in the end.  A few soldiers riding on the furthest edges of the groups were picked off as they were the first defense against any surprises, but that was as far as further casualties went. 

Levi rejoined his squad upon entering Wall Rose.  They had remained unscathed for the most part, of which Levi was thankful.  Petra’s eyes were bright as she nodded respectfully to him.  He returned the gesture first with her, then the rest of the squad, noting the defeated hunch of their shoulders, the deep shadows under their eyes. The trembling of their hands as they grasped their horses’ reins. 

“You all did well today,” he told them, voice soft but stern.  “No matter what these bastards will scream at you when we pass through the city.  You ignore them, you hold your heads high, and you carry on.  Am I understood?”

“Yes Captain,” they murmured as one, straightening their postures as they started the long march through Trost.

Levi could feel himself beginning to bristle as the crowds came out of the woodwork, whispering and pointing, imagining that they were fit to judge them.  He always fucking hated being put on display like this. 

He kept his eyes forward, and didn’t give any of them the time of day.  Not the young mother who screamed at them to bring back her son, sobs tearing raggedly out of her throat.  Not the old men who snarled at them for wasting their tax money.  Not the children who exclaimed in admiration when he came into view, crowing that he was the strongest soldier alive, _and when they grew up, they wanted to be just like him_.

The latter in particular always made his stomach turn. 

He kept his eyes forward, and resolutely did not search that sea of people for a pair of wide, turquoise eyes.       

                ~)*(~

“You’ve had a trying last few days,” Erwin began, nearly seventy-two hours since their return. And indeed, there was a lot to do when they got back.  Reports to write, supplies to inventory, missing horses to account for.  

Families to notify.

Levi sipped long and deep from his cup, impassively raising his eyes to his Commander after hours of sitting in silence.  _Three days back and still so much to do_.

Erwin continued.  “I’m meeting with some of the higher-ups tomorrow night in Trost to tell them about the last mission’s results myself.  I expect you to come with me.”

Levi _tched_ , the corners of his mouth turning down in annoyance.  He hated interacting with those poncy bastards.  He had since the beginning, and he was sure he would until the day he died.  Probably even after that, too.

 “Come on, it’ll be good for you to get out of the base for a little while.  This place has been stifling you.”

At that Levi set down his cup and turned in his chair to face Erwin completely, levelling him with a hard stare.  “It’ll be _good for me_?” he intoned, incredulous.  “ _Stifling me?_ What are you, my mother?”

Erwin sighed, frowning.  “Levi, be serious.  Don’t think I haven’t noticed all the brooding you’ve been doing lately.  It’s a bit much, even for you.”

Silence.

“Fine,” Erwin exhaled.  “Come for my sake then, if not your own.  And yes, despite what you may think I _do_ realize dealing with the brass isn’t you’re most favourite pastime.”

This got him a snort out of Levi at least.  “Why not send the assholes letters then?  Why do we have to go and meet them in person?”  He knew he was sounding petulant at this point, but he was currently short on fucks to give.  

“With the casualty ratio as high as it was, it’s going to take a lot of persuading to obtain further funding.”  Suddenly, Erwin’s mouth twisted into a wolfish grin.  The one that used to make the hairs on the back of Levi’s neck stand on end in the early days of their partnership.  The one that told him that this man was going to be a force of nature, at the very least, and an absolute demon to anyone that crossed him.

“That, Captain, is where you come in.  Your presence always seems to give the higher-ups incentive to behave themselves, I’ve found.” 

Levi felt his eyes roll almost on their own accord.  He sat back in his chair, crossing his arms in front of his chest and raising one slim eyebrow at his superior, looking more than slightly unimpressed.

Erwin’s smile grew fond despite himself.  “And I won’t pretend that it won’t be much less tiresome with you there.”

“Oh shut up, damned flirt – I’ll go.  It’s not like I had much choice to begin with.”

“That’s the spirit.”

~)*(~

Levi was under no such delusion that the meeting would be anything other than a nuisance.

As per usual, he stood vigilant at Erwin’s side throughout the whole thing, casting the occasional glare at anyone whose behaviour towards Erwin began leaning towards the realm of disrespectful.

Unfortunately for them, Levi’s definition of _disrespectful_ was quite broad.

As Erwin himself admitted now, the last mission’s results were less than ideal, but the bigwigs losing their heads over it (no horrific pun intended) wasn’t going to change a thing.  Thankfully, one reproachful look from Levi was enough to settle them back into their seats.

Levi wouldn’t lie – it _was_ a bit satisfying to know that he could make these self-important dumbasses quake in their expensive boots with a single glance.  It was for moments like this that he was grateful for the social power his reputation held.

It certainly helped Erwin, even after all these years.  To the higher-ups, Levi was no more than a dirty stray that Erwin had taken in from the Underground, then groomed and sculpted into a soldier.  A proper warrior.  He was already infamous before coming to the surface, which made Erwin’s ‘taming’ of him seemingly more impressive. 

In the eyes of the brass, what kind of man was Erwin, then?  Who could turn a high-rolling gang leader into an obedient, lethal weapon?

Of course, Levi was well aware that their relationship was not so cat-and-mouse.  However, it did benefit the Scouts greatly if the higher-ups perceived it a certain way.

Now, Erwin had moved on to the topic of what success they _did_ manage to achieve during the last mission.  They did succeed in the complete stocking of the fifth checkpoint, which was nearly a third of the way to Wall Maria.  A small victory – but a victory nonetheless.  Erwin’s new scouting formation assisted once again in keeping overall casualties down, which the brass seemed to reluctantly acknowledge. 

And lastly came the hairy bit.  Erwin was already planning for the next excursion in a month and a half’s time, and had to plead for further funding.  Levi could tell by the shadows flitting across their investors’ faces that it wasn’t going to be easy to obtain – but Erwin had his ways.  By one means or another, they would get their money. 

They left it at that for the day.  The higher-ups shook Erwin’s hand, nodding stiffly in Levi’s direction as they droned on about how they were going to be in touch.  He watched as they filed out of the inn room they had rented, and only when they were all safely out of earshot did Erwin release a large, put-upon sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Thank fuck that’s over,” Levi grumbled, leaning back against the wall.  “If I had to listen to that windbag Hofmann for a second longer, I would’ve sucker punched him so hard that he would've lost the ability to tell his mouth from his asshole.”

“Hush Levi, they might still hear you.”  But Erwin was smiling.

“I hope they do.  Shitheads.”

Erwin gave a low laugh.  He paused for a moment, a peculiar gleam alighting his eyes.

“I’m not sure about you but I could really eat something about now.  What do you say we have some supper before heading back to HQ?”

Levi shrugged.  “If you want.”

“Excellent.”

~)*(~

He followed Erwin through the slowly darkening streets of Trost, mind adrift.  People stared at them as they passed by; their physical features combined with their uniforms unfortunately made them quite recognizable.  Erwin, always the gentleman, greeted the approaching public politely with a kind of social grace that Levi had never really quite managed to imitate.  Instead he scowled at nothing, hoping to deter any uncomfortable interactions.

He succeeded, unsurprisingly. 

It was only when they began turning down a collection of familiar streets that Levi became fully aware of himself and his surroundings.  He looked up at Erwin walking a little ways ahead of him, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

When they at last turned the final corner, Levi stopped dead.

“I should have fucking known,” he growled out.  Erwin turned towards him, the signs of the _Phoenix_ swinging behind him in the evening breeze. 

“What?  I thought you’d be pleased.”

“Take a good look at my face Erwin.  Do I look pleased to you?”   

“Well to be fair, you rarely do on a good day.”

“Fuck you.  I’m not going in there.”

Erwin threw up his hands, exasperated.  “Come on Levi, don’t be such a spoilsport.  We’ll have some dinner, relax for a little while, and perhaps take in some entertainment before we head back to headquarters.”

Levi crossed his arms, his already furious scowl deepening.  “No.”

The Commander huffed in annoyance, marching over to him.  “I don’t understand why you’re being so stubborn all of a sudden; you seemed to have enjoyed yourself here a couple of days ago.”

Levi let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. 

“Last time, the kid I was with…  He figured out that I was in the Scouts and instantly went into the whole hero worship thing.  I – I just don’t want to deal with that shit.”

Erwin nodded, eyebrows furrowing.  Levi tried not to squirm at the searching look Erwin levelled at him – much too intense for his liking.  “This sort of thing has never bothered you much before.”

Levi shrugged, turning to stare down the street.  Defensiveness prickled up his spine like an itch.

“Well, if he approaches you then tell him to bugger off.  God knows you’re capable enough.” 

Levi muttered something under his breath.  After a few moments, he stalked decidedly past Erwin towards the _Phoenix_ ’s entrance, flipping a rude gesture in his Commander’s direction.

He heard Erwin’s laugh behind him.  “Besides, your escapade a few days ago reminded me that it’s been a while since I’ve spoken with Jelena – the _Phoenix_ ’s madam.  I’m interested to see if she’ll have any news for me.”

“Then let’s get this over with,” Levi grumbled.

The _Phoenix_ was dimly lit like the last time Levi was there, only the layout of the tables were different.  A large space had been cleared in the centre of the room where a few musicians now sat.  There were several drummers present, as well as a fiddler, a guitarist, and a man with some kind of woodwind instrument.  They played a soft number now as the crowd watched, while in their midst three scantily clad young girls danced about.  They moved so lithely, almost as if they were in some sort of trance, while the little bells hung about their hips and wrists jingled in the background. 

He and Erwin found an empty table to sit at closer to the bar.  Levi was quite glad to note that their entrance didn’t cause too much commotion, as the brothels patrons’ attentions were otherwise occupied.   

Soon enough, another young girl trotted over to serve them.  Erwin spoke to her – too low for Levi to hear – but that was fine.  He wasn’t listening anyways, attention caught elsewhere. 

There, in the back of the room talking to that same guard from the other day, was that damned _brat_.  Glistening like some kind of stupid forest nymph in his shiny green garments: pants that flared out about his legs but were cuffed at his ankles, and strips of that same material hung along his arms, bound to his wrists and upper arms by golden bangles, also adorned with golden bells.  Like all the other prostitutes, another string of little bells hung low around his hips.  Now, the boy was laughing at something the guard had said to him, bent down to the kid’s height so he could whisper in his ear. 

Sudden, like the violent drop of a pin, Levi’s head flooded with images of what it had been like with him.  His scent at the crook of his neck, the texture of his hair between Levi’s fingertips, the way the boy’s body arched and wriggled beneath him, his soft little whines puncturing the air every time their bodies came together –         

Levi wrenched his eyes away, snarling to himself.  _There’s no time for that shit now, it’s done with._   He set his attention on the dancers now, his face feeling hot. 

The girls continued on for a few more minutes, swaying to the rhythm floating throughout the brothel.  Then there was an abrupt change of tune, as the girls twirled and disappeared into various sections of the crowd.  The men in the audience jeered and clapped as the girls finally came within their reach, some of the bolder ones even snatched them up mid-stride and tugged them into their laps.  Peals of squealing delight were heard before a new group of dancers paraded onto the stage.    

And of course, Bright Eyes just had to be one of them.  _Fuck._

He was joined by a shorter boy looking about the same age – but paler, with black hair – and a girl who looked slightly older than the rest of them, with wavy red hair that flowed down to her waist.    

They began as soon as the music slowed completely, the drums and strings practically folding in together to match the movements of the youths they surrounded.  It was very different in its tune compared to the last song; the drums were almost hypnotic in their rhythm, slow and measured.  And the way the fiddle weaved luxuriously through the percussion could not have portrayed anything other than the age old song of seduction.  Levi recognized it as easily as breathing, feeling it awaken something deep within his bones.  

There were a few dancers on the makeshift stage of course, but there was one in particular that Levi couldn’t possibly take his eyes away from.  He watched as the kid’s hips started swinging slowly to the music, like the pendulum of a grandfather clock.  As he rose his arms skyward with that same languid grace, like he knew the whole world would be watching him if it could.  He danced as though he _was_ the music, the rhythm urging him to twist this way and that as though torn between a lover and the unforgiving knowledge that it could never be.  And then he tipped his head back, exposing that soft, honey-coloured throat –

Levi swung back around in his chair, taking a huge swig of whiskey from a cup that seemingly materialized out of nowhere, and cursed the sudden tightness of his trousers.

Across from him, Erwin sipped from his own glass as he eyed the dancers.  “That’s the one, isn’t he?”

Levi hummed questioningly, not lifting his eyes from the table.  He knew very well which one Erwin meant.

“The darker one.  He’s the one you took last time.”

Levi drained the rest of his glass.  “Yeah.”

Erwin made a low sound of approval, eyes appraising.  “I can understand why.  He is quite stunning.” 

Sighing, Levi found himself turning around again (against his better judgement) to get another look at the boy.

He was just too damn pretty, with those huge fucking eyes, pouty mouth, and slanted brows.  A lazy smile spread across his face now as he moved, fluttering his eyelashes at the men watching closest to him.

And then, as if he could sense the scrutiny he was under, he looked up suddenly to meet Levi’s stare.

Levi felt his heartbeat jump in his throat when the kid’s mask slipped.  Surprise flashed across his features for an instant, before his expression smoothed into something resembling that of a cat that had caught a canary.

Cursing under his breath, Levi flipped around in his chair once again, pinching the bridge of his nose.  The kid had seen him.

 _Fuck_.

He felt sick all of a sudden, for reasons unbeknownst to him.  He shouldn’t have come back here.  He was an idiot for letting Erwin convince him.  It was bad enough he took advantage of that kid last time –

Was he really becoming one of those old perverts that he grew up despising, frequenting brothels and misusing others to slake their own sick desires? 

Levi looked up at Erwin then, eyes pleading and wild with uncertainty, when he caught the look on his superior’s face.

Erwin was looking past him with interest, his mouth spreading into a knowing smirk as loud whoops and catcalls echoed throughout the building.  His gaze found Levi’s again, and all he could feel was the plummeting of his stomach.

_Oh god, please no –_

He still wasn’t prepared when a pair of hands landed softly his shoulders, smoothing their way down his front.  Levi jumped a little, spine stiffening in an instant.  Cinnamon and nutmeg filled his senses as a head was pressed against his own, a chin resting on his shoulder.  His nose twitched as long hair tickled at his face.

“I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away from me,” the kid murmured in his ear. Levi – hearing the smugness in his voice – chose not to respond.  The boy’s scent was clouding his head, vivid scenes from his last visit replayed over and over again in his mind’s eye. 

“I still haven’t forgiven you for the way you walked out on me last time, you know,” the boy continued.  “I wanted to play with you a little while longer.”

The kid’s teeth closed gently on his earlobe, catching Levi by surprise.  He made a sound somewhere between a squawk and a snarl, whirling around in his seat to shove the kid away.

“Get the fuck away from me,” he snapped.  Teal eyes became round as saucers, eyelashes fluttering in shock.

The boy pouted, sticking out his plump lower lip in exaggerated displeasure.

“Well, that wasn’t very nice,” he simpered, approaching Levi once again.  He eyed the boy warily, pushing himself as far back in his chair as he physically could.            

The kid watched him carefully in return, eyes so alight with curiosity and focus that Levi was finding it very difficult to look away.

“Last time I got the feeling that you rather enjoyed my company.” 

Without breaking eye contact, the brat grabbed onto both of the chair’s armrests and slowly eased himself into Levi’s lap, making a soft sound when their crotches met.  Levi couldn’t help his own body from pushing up into the boy in response, hands immediately clamping down on his hips.   

He cursed under his breath as the kid leaned forward, towering over him now; Levi’s head was practically tipped all the way backwards against the chair to keep those eyes in view.

 _Fuck_ , they were so close.  Levi could feel the sweetness of the boy’s breath on his mouth, the heat practically had his toes curling in his boots.  The mere scent of him was making his mouth water.  Levi hissed when the kid ground on him again, wanting nothing more in that moment then to sink his teeth into the boy’s neck.  To make him _whine_ …

“Come upstairs with me,” the youth purred, nuzzling into Levi’s hair.  He lifted a hand to trace the line of Levi’s jaw with his finger.  “I waited _so long_ for you to come back…”

However much being handled in such a way was _appealing_ all of a sudden, Levi still found himself grabbing onto both of the kid’s wrists.  The boy squeaked at the tightness of Levi’s grip as he was pushed backwards, no longer draped across Levi’s front.

“I don’t have any money,” Levi growled, trying desperately to clear through the fog of arousal that now clouded his head.  His cock throbbed underneath the kid’s lap, angry and wanting.    

The boy’s face fell at the same time as a large _clank_ sounded next to them – the noise belonging to a bulky leather pouch that had been thrown across the table.

A leather pouch that no doubt held a rather disgusting sum of money.

And there was Erwin sitting across from them, meeting Levi’s accusing glare with a smug smile and shrugging.

 _You scheming fucking son of a bitch._   “Erwin –“

“Don’t bother.  Just take the money and go, I’ll speak with Jelena in your absence.”

“But-“

“No _buts_.  Now run along before someone else snatches him up.”  Erwin got out of his chair, giving the kid a damn _wink_ in the process, and left Levi there.  Alone.  With that _brat…_  

Levi was bewildered, blinking at the place where his Commander sat not two moments ago.  _What the fuck??_

Levi was going to skin him alive the next time he saw him.

So absorbed was he in his anger that he nearly forgot about the beautiful boy currently straddling his lap.  Smooth fingers along his jaw quickly served as a reminder, pulling his head so that they faced each other once again.    

Those brilliant green eyes filled Levi’s vision again, expressive and seductive all at once.  Tonight he’d painted a thin line of black around his lids, making them even more startling. 

Levi was beginning to forget exactly why he was originally opposed to coming back here.

_Fucking hell._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song I had in mind for Eren's dance is _Marco Polo_ by Loreena McKennitt.


	3. III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again dearies!! I think I'm officially the worst updater in AO3 history, and I think you all have the patience of saints for putting up with me. Anyways, here is Chapter 3! I'm pretty sure this is 80% porn so hopefully that somewhat makes up for my tardiness ;) Again thank you so much for reading, subscribing, commenting, bookmarking, and kudos-ing - it means a great deal to me. Enjoy!
> 
> ** TW: This chapter does have mention of panic attacks **

 

 _So excuse me forgetting, but these things I do,_  
_You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue._  
_Anyway the thing is, what I really mean,_  
_Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen._

 

\- Moulin Rouge, _Your Song_

 

~)*(~

 

The next thing Levi knew the kid was sliding off of his lap, grabbing the pouch of coins with one hand and Levi’s hand with the other, tugging him upright.  The boy led him through the throngs of people once again, many of whom stared intently at them as they passed by.  Levi couldn’t help the apprehensiveness and uncertainty that pulsed though him – feeling much like a lamb being led off to the slaughter.

But then the kid would turn his head around to give him a secretive smile, heating Levi’s blood and reminding him that once again, the boy was choosing this.  Was choosing _him_. 

However, his conviction was weaker this time around, try as he might to legitimize his lust.  Levi still felt dirty, soiling this beautiful boy who might have had a life somewhere else, somewhere far away from this poisonous place.

Levi looked around at the debauchery that surrounded him.  Old men hooted and grabbed at some of the younger female prostitutes like it was owed to them.  The girls laughed it off and played along, but Levi could sense their misery underneath the charade.  Their contempt; their rage.    

Levi understood only too well.     

He was jarred from his thoughts when a hand clapped down roughly on his shoulder.  “Well done Captain – what a beauty!” a voice boomed from behind them.  Levi whipped his head around to snarl every vile name under the sun at whoever believed it was _okay_ to lay a hand on him in such a casual manner, but so many eyes now followed him and the boy – making it nearly impossible to ascertain the culprit.  So he settled for glaring murderously at as many of them as possible, hoping to get across to them that further unwanted touches would result in broken limbs and rearranged faces. 

In that same instant, he realized that whoever ‘congratulated’ him had shouted his title around, no doubt alerting nearby patrons of who he was.  That combined with his unconventional appearance had thrown any anonymity he still possessed out the window, if the growing number of faces around them dawning in realization were anything to go by. 

There was only one Captain in the Survey Corps.

A wave of panic turned his focus onto the kid as they approached the doorway leading upstairs.  But he still resolutely tugged Levi along, giving no indication that he had heard anything.  Relief coursed through Levi, troubling and soothing all at once.

Just like the previous evening, the young man guarding the prostitutes’ private rooms allowed them inside, giving the boy a warm smile, cheeks reddening at the kid’s answering grin.  Then his eyes turned on Levi, his face morphing into a cold scowl like the flip of a coin.

Levi glowered back, narrowing his eyes.  “What’re you looking at?” he growled.  “Didn’t your mother ever teach you that it’s rude to stare?”  The bloke was still sputtering when Levi closed the door in his face, the boy’s tinkling laugh echoing behind him.

Levi felt a stab of contempt.  _Having a little schoolboy crush on a whore… what a fucking idiot._

The kid was still giggling as he led Levi up the stairs.  “Wow.  You never hold back, do you?”

“No,” Levi grumbled.  “Especially not with halfwits.”

“Oh come on, Klaus isn’t so bad.”

“Who said I was talking about guard boy?” Levi said, delivering a smart open-handed smack on the brat’s rump once they reached the second floor.

The kid jumped with a yelp, rounding on Levi with an expression that seemed as affronted as it was giddy.  “I am _not_ a halfwit.”

Levi stepped forward right into the boy’s space, peering upwards into those lovely eyes.  “Oh yeah?  If you’re so intelligent, sunshine, then how is it that you’re unaware of your little friend’s crush on you?”

“Huh?”  The boy blinked at him, confused.  “Klaus?  Oh no, definitely not – we’re just friends.”    

Levi sighed, rolling his eyes.  “You sure have a lot to learn, brat.”

The kid smirked at him then, a devilish look in his eyes, and Levi knew that he’d made a grave mistake. 

In an instant the boy’s hands shot out, index fingers hooking through the belt loops on Levi’s trousers, and _yanked_ him forwards.  Caught unawares, Levi stumbled straight into the kid’s bare chest, instinctively bracing himself by gripping the boy’s upper arms, catching some of that green, shimmering fabric in his grasp.        

“Does that mean you’ll teach me?” the kid purred, fluttering his long, stupid eyelashes.  They were practically nose to nose now, with the kid having the gall to literally _stoop_ down to Levi’s height.  Levi didn’t know which was stronger; the urge to punch him, or to fuck him senseless.

“I’m not an ideal teacher,” Levi ground out as he felt the kids hands settle on his hips.

“Why’s that?”

“I’m extremely impatient; I never go easy on my students.”  The innuendo was intended, and thankfully the horny teenager got the hint.  His teal eyes widened, nostrils flaring.

“That’s alright, I like it rough,” he breathed, his mouth only a hair’s breadth away from Levi’s. 

“I remember,” Levi rumbled, low and inviting.  He watched in satisfaction as the boy’s eyelids fluttered a little, mouth parting in a sigh.  _Oh, he had him._

“Now where’s that room of yours?  I’d hate to see what taking you on this floor would to that lovely outfit.”

The boy certainly didn’t need to be asked twice.  Without a word he turned on his heel and practically dragged Levi down the hallway.  When they approached the room he pulled out the key hidden in his trousers to unlock the door, and pulled Levi roughly across the threshold. 

Once they were inside, the kid haphazardly threw his earnings in the vague direction of the wicker basket, seeming not to mind when the pouch missed the table entirely.  The door hadn’t even had time to swing all the way shut before the boy pounced on him, practically slamming him into the hard wood.  Levi grunted at the impact, surprised by the kid‘s sudden aggressiveness.

Bright Eyes was all up in his space in an instant, pressing his entire body alongside Levi’s and sniffing at his neck like a fucking tomcat. 

Levi was torn between revulsion and desire, the latter punching sharp and hot in his belly. 

“Kid, you haven’t even counted – “

“I’ll do it after,” the boy murmured, barely more than a whisper, before tracing the outer shell of Levi’s ear with his tongue.  

Levi gasped, hands reaching up to grip the boy’s shoulders and latching onto him like an anchor, unsure of whether to pull him closer or shove him away.  The youth made his decision for him, pressing impossibly closer until there wasn’t an inch between them, grabbing at his hips with fervour.  Levi made another low sound of discomfort as his back was further pressed into the door.  The boy chuckled while he lowered his head, much to Levi’s chagrin.  But the laughter stopped as his lips latched onto the side of Levi’s neck, mouthing eagerly at his skin.      

Levi felt dizzy, letting his head fall back against the door with a _thud_ ; he could feel the kid’s sweet heat sweeping into him and burning him up from the inside out.  The warmth of the boy’s mouth scorched its way through his skin and into his bloodstream, trickling out to his fingertips (which somehow ended up tangled in the boy’s hair) down to his toes, between his thighs.  He could feel the kid’s own arousal pressing insistently against his hip.     

This definitely wasn’t the boy Levi fucked last week – all shy smiles and soft whimpers, so willing to submit.  No, this was a new breed of monster entirely.  _What the hell happened??_ And more importantly – _why the fuck was he enjoying this??_

The kid kissed his way down Levi’s throat, growling with impatience when he came across Levi’s cravat, the cloth marring his way.  He closed his teeth on the soft fabric and gave a few tugs, impertinent and bold. Levi swore at him, clouting the boy across the back of his head. 

“You rip that and I will fucking end you.” 

He felt a shudder rack the kid’s body before he rocked forward, pushing into Levi insistently.  He gasped at the delicious pressure put on his cock, growling out a moan when the boy did it again.  And again.  And a fourth time.  All the while Levi held fast, nails digging into the boy’s shoulders.  The bells wrapped around the kid’s hips tinkled obnoxiously every time they came together, and if they ever cut into the boy’s skin at all, he gave no indication. 

It was more than embarrassing, letting a fucking _sixteen-year-old_ literally dry-hump him against a door.  Levi thought his days of mindless rutting had long been over, and yet, here he was. But _fuck_ was it hot.  The boy knew exactly where and how to rub against him to make sparks flare behind his eyelids.  _The bastard._

Levi was so wrought with pleasure that he didn’t notice the boy’s shoulders dropping lower and lower… until it was too late.  Until he became dimly aware of the boy’s hands snaking their way behind his thighs.  Clarity shot through him like an arrow loosed from a bow. 

“Don’t you da –“ 

His growl was cut short with a grunt as the boy _hauled_ him up alongside the door, and slammed their hips together to hold him in place.  Levi felt his mouth fall open in soundless shock and outrage as he stared directly into the kid’s stark green eyes, their faces only inches apart.  Fuck, he was striking – but that wouldn’t stop Levi from _striking_ him himself if he didn’t smarten his ass up.  

“You little shit,” he hissed, only to notice the boy’s stare was not meeting his own.  Instead his eyes darted wildly across Levi’s face, practically black with desire.  The scrutiny was… _unsettling_ to say the least; Levi had to struggle against the urge to squirm and fidget.  Until the kid’s gaze settled on his mouth.

A flash of white panic stole through him then, freezing the air in his lungs.  Time seemed to slow as he watched the boy lean forward, eyes fluttering shut, lips slightly parted –

Levi wrenched his head to the side, breathing hard.  He felt the kid still against him, save for the deep heaving of his chest as he panted, aware that he’d crossed some sort of line.  The tension was palpable between them, almost intense enough to taste.  In the middle of it all, Levi was torn between twisting free of the boy’s embrace, and waiting to see what he would do next. 

Curiosity made him choose the latter.      

Soft as a butterfly’s wing, the boy pressed his lips against Levi’s jaw, lingering there for a few moments before repeating the action closer to his chin, and at once Levi could see it for the apology it was.  The kid was practically vibrating with desire and uncertainty, paralleling the tautness that racked Levi’s own body.  _Too close, that was too close…_

_What the fuck was he doing?_

The last guy that tried to pin Levi to a wall earned himself two dislocated shoulders, broken fingers, and a couple of missing teeth.  The last person to make him feel _afraid_ got so, so, _so_ much worse than that – and then some.  The poor bastard was virtually unrecognizable when Levi had finished with him.  So how was it that this kid was doing both, and he was _allowing it_?  He didn’t know who he was more enraged with – the brat, or _himself_ for being so damned weak. 

Noticing that Levi made no other move to show that he was uncomfortable, the boy grew braver again.  His kisses grew rougher, almost possessive, tracing along the line of Levi’s jaw and down his throat, shaky hands reaching up to untie his cravat. 

There was something almost entitled in the gesture, _smug_ , as if the kid thought he’d won some sort of game between the two of them.  Annoyance flared through Levi, indignant heat thundering a trail through him, thawing the cold leftover from when the brat meant to kiss him.  Levi was not some blushing virgin, swooning and sighing in the face of pretty words and pretty eyes.       

 _And what pretty eyes they were_.

Levi clamped his thighs around the boy’s core, relishing in the high little gasp it earned him.  He hooked his arms underneath the kid’s, digging his fingernails deep into his shoulders, and sank his teeth into the crook of the boy’s neck.  The youth cried out and began rolling his hips against Levi in earnest.  Levi felt the soft fabric of his cravat slip from his throat, the boy’s mouth returning to the base of his neck to taste what had been hidden from him.

Levi’s mouth fell open, a sigh hissing past his teeth.  The kid was frantic with desire now, making shameless sounds in his ear as he rutted wildly against him.  His passion was seemingly contagious as Levi found himself emitting similar embarrassing noises with nearly every breath, the friction against his cock growing sweeter and sweeter.

He felt the kid’s hands scrabbling at his jacket, pushing it off his shoulders.  Levi let his arms fall from the boy’s back, jacket sliding to the floor.

“I knew you were a Scout,” the kid panted against his skin, fingers fumbling with the chest buckle of Levi’s harness, and growled out his impatience when it didn’t instantly give way.  “Last time.  I could tell.”

“What gave me away?” Levi grumbled indulgently, feeling the way the kid pawed at him.      

The boy bumped their hips together again, drawing gasps from both of them.  “I just knew,” the kid whispered, his breath hot in Levi’s ear.  “The way you carried yourself, the way you expected complete obedience.  Like – _ahhh_ – like you knew you’d get it, no matter what.”  A tremor wracked the kid’s body, his hips moving faster and faster still, the bare skin of his shoulders searing Levi’s fingertips.  “You have this…presence about you.  Commanding...” 

The brat moaned again, an agonized sound.  “ _God_ , it’s so fucking hot.  You’re, you’re so – ”

Giving up on the harness, his hands latched onto the backs of Levi’s thighs again and _squeezed_ to try and ground himself.  He pushed up at them greedily, trying to spread Levi’s legs open further. 

Levi bristled. _Exactly who was paying whom here??_

Levi _deeply_ disliked his being maneuvered so flippantly, but he’d be lying to himself if he said he wasn’t enjoying the boy’s fervour.  The little brat was just _going_ for it – even so far as to try and correct their vast height differences.  The absolute gall was both amusing and enraging; Levi didn’t know what to make of it.  Very few people had ever pursued him physically with such zeal – and with good reason.  But then again, the boy didn’t know who he was. 

Or what he’d done.  What he was capable of.

Not to mention the kid was getting fucking _paid_ – why was he even thinking about this? 

Stupid inner ramblings aside, Levi decided he was through with letting the boy have his way.  He needed to regain at least some semblance of control – for the sake his pride, if nothing else.

Levi grabbed hold of the boy’s hair at the base of his head with his right hand, while his left wriggled its way between them.  He kneaded the heel of his palm into the kid’s crotch, and closed his hand around the boy’s length through his trousers, the youth’s whines growing higher and louder with pleasure.  The material of his bottoms were loose and slippery, making it easy for Levi to stroke him through the fabric.

The brat keened again, rutting Levi into the door like it was his life’s mission.  The sensations were delicious, and the boy’s enthusiasm was arousing to the point of near madness, but this alone was simply not going to cut it.      

Even so, driving Bright Eyes out of his mind with need certainly was appealing...

“W – want you,” the kid panted, kissing, sucking, and biting at any patch of skin he could reach.  At the corner of Levi’s mind, a voice was snarling at the boy to stop drooling over him like a damned dog but it was soundly drowned out, overpowered by the kid’s scent, his voice, his eagerness, the way his body felt against Levi’s own.  The feeling of his cock, hard and demanding in Levi’s grasp.     

“Oh yeah?” Levi hummed, voice soft and low.  He leaned forward as much as he could, lips pressing against the skin underneath the boy’s ear, right hand moving down to grasp his shoulder.  “Show me.”

With a grunt the kid shoved his hips forward again, driving himself faster into Levi’s grasp with every thrust.  Levi closed his fist as tight as he could without hurting the boy – the ensuing noises indicated it’d been a good call. 

“That’s it.  Good boy,” Levi crooned, stroking his neck.  The kid let out a helpless whimper, his hips finally starting to lose their rhythm.  It wouldn’t be long now.

“C’mon kid, _fuck_ me.”

“ _Ahhhh_ ,” the boy cried out at last, burying his face in Levi’s shoulders as his hips stuttered, cock twitching in Levi’s hand.  A moment later he sagged forward, sated and spent, trembling arms and legs giving out after supporting Levi’s weight for so long.  Levi slid to the floor in a less than dignified fashion, and was grateful that the boy was too blissed out to notice how unsteady his own legs were.

And _fuck_ , he was so hard he was half afraid his pants would burst apart at the seams.   

The kid was still breathless when Levi started shoving at him, urging him towards the bed.  He stumbled when the backs of his calves bumped against the mattress, toppling over backwards with a surprised yelp.

Levi undid his harness as the kid lay there panting, and hung it along with his discarded cravat and jacket across the back of a chair.  He slipped his boots off, turning towards the bed as he began unbuttoning his shirt.  The boy was watching him now with hooded eyes, and had apparently gained enough strength back in his limbs to prop himself up on his elbows.  Levi folded his shirt with his other clothes, before finally approaching the kid again. 

He leaned forward over the boy, holding his gaze as he tugged at the waistband of the kid’s soiled pants.  The boy lifted his hips up so Levi could shimmy the trousers off him, giving Levi a soft smile when he set to work on removing the strings of bells from his hips, his wrists, and each of his ankles. 

If the brat was gorgeous before, he was near angelic now.  He watched Levi with an almost dreamy expression, skin flushed and glowing in post-orgasmic bliss, his eyes dark and expressive, a molten green that all the forests of the world would envy.  Then he spread his legs wide, the invitation clear and bold.

 _Take me_.   

Levi had no intention of denying him.

He hoisted up the kid’s bare leg by his calf, and pressed a kiss to the inside of his ankle.  The boy shuddered, goosebumps erupting across his honey-coloured skin.  He’d pulled his lower lip between his teeth when Levi looked down on him again, and it was that small act of innocence that made Levi surge forward between the boys legs, the kid reaching out for him –

And in a single second, Levi’s entire world changed. 

The room spun.  Paneled walls gave way to lush woods, sequoia trees growing tall and strong as far as the eye could see.  Grass erupted from the floorboards as night turned into day, and sunlight filtered through leaves as if the brothel roof had never been.

And in front of him, lying amongst the grass and the moss, was the boy.

His arm flopped outwards towards Levi as if reaching for him still, while the rest of his body laid twisted and broken, blood seeping through the Survey Corps uniform he now wore, staining the forest floor a brilliant crimson.  His neck was bent at an unnatural angle, beautiful teal eyes wide and unseeing, with a single drop of blood trickling its way out of his nose.  And if this horror weren’t gruesome enough, a gentle breeze fluttered the kid’s hair – as if he were only sleeping beneath the safety of the trees, the wind caressing him as he dreamed.  The low drone of flies, however, did not allow for any such illusions. 

Another moment passed, and then Isabel was there in the grass as well.  Her severed head stared up at him, accusation in her eyes.  _So green… she and the boy could have been kin_.  Farlan’s torso lay beside her, innards spilling into the dirt.  Mouth frozen open in an eternal scream.  

_My god, it’s happening again._

The sound that screeched its way out of his throat was not human. 

~)*(~

Panic engulfed him, white hot and strangling.  It was as if every horror Levi had ever witnessed resurfaced all at once in his mind’s eye, forcing him to relive each moment over, and over, and over again.  It was hell.  Worse than hell.  And he was trapped, with no way out.  His heartbeat raced in his ears, lungs thundering along with his shortened breaths.  Each inhale felt tighter and tighter as if someone were choking him, and soon he’d lose the ability to breathe completely.  He sobbed once, the sound staggered and broken, when no amount of closing his eyes would make the visions disappear.  There was nothing for him to fight here.  Nowhere he could run.  _Stop, stop, stop, please, make it stop…_   

Later, Levi couldn’t be sure if it was the voice or the jostling that he became aware of first. 

“Hey!  Hey!  _Hey_!”

Someone’s hands were on his shoulders, shaking him hard.  He blinked a few times as light infiltrated his senses, chasing the nightmare away.  His eyelids fluttered a few more times, clearing the last of the fog, only to find himself staring into large, jade eyes.  They teemed with hope and life, albeit filled with distress at the moment.  But they were alive – _he_ was alive.  And the last of Levi’s panic filtered out of him with a sigh. 

The kid scrutinized him a moment longer, his gaze flitting back and forth between Levi’s eyes.  “Are you alright?”

Levi took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, feeling like he’d aged ten years within the last few minutes.  His hands were trembling.  “I’m fine.”

The boy gaped at him.  “Are you joking?  You are definitely _not_ fine.”   

“ _Yes_ , I am,” Levi muttered, running a tired hand down his face.  The kid sat back on his heels to give him a worried look, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.  “Are you sure?” he asked, voice soft.

Levi looked down, watched his hands shake where they gripped his thighs.  He cursed quietly, closing his eyes.  He’d thought the damned hallucinations were done with.  It’d been weeks since the last one.    

“You just… all of a sudden had this look on your face.”  Levi could feel the kid’s gaze on him, watching how Levi’s body shuddered without his permission.  It was more than humiliating. 

“It was like you weren’t here, but somewhere else instead...”

“I said I was fucking _fine_.  Now _drop it_ ,” he snarled furiously, baring his teeth. 

The boy shrank backwards at his outburst, worry rounding his eyes.  That’s right – the brat didn’t know how ugly he could be when his pride was hurt.  Even so, Levi managed to surprise himself with how vicious he sounded. 

“I’m – I’m sorry,” the kid trailed off, suddenly quiet and meek, all traces of haughtiness gone. 

Levi had frightened him.  And some awful, awful part of him had wanted to.  To show the kid that he was not one to be coddled.  Or pitied.   

But seeing the boy look at him like that – like Levi would lash out at him at any second – set up a horrible churning in his gut. 

He sighed, a hand carding through his hair.  “Look, kid… it isn’t your fault.  I should be apologizing for scaring the shit out of you.”

Bright Eyes surprised him with a little nervous laugh, eyeing Levi with a wary curiosity.

“Sometimes I just… I _see_ things.  Things that aren’t real.  Bad things.  Things… that I really just want to forget.”

The boy’s expression turned considerate, his head bowing forward.  Sadness darkened his features like a passing raincloud.  “That must be scary.”

Levi grunted, uncomfortable with where the conversation had headed.  As a means of distraction he turned his attention to the window above the bed.  It was dark outside already – a grim reminder of the shortening days.  Rain pattered softly against the glass.

Out of his periphery, he saw the kid sidling towards him.  His face filled Levi’s line of vision, using his height to loom over Levi like a shadow, teal eyes glittering in the dark.  The boy’s face was soft, imploring even, like that of a horsemaster trying to gentle a colt that had been running wild for years. 

One warm hand slid down Levi’s side, the other reaching tentatively between his legs.  Levi’s visions had all but bled the excitement out of him, leaving him soft and disinterested in his trousers. 

But judging by the spike of heat that drove itself up his spine at the way the boy touched him, he wasn’t going to remain so for long.

“I can make you feel better,” the kid purred in his ear, the low insistence in his tone raising the hairs on Levi’s arms.  “If you’ll let me.”  The hand that wasn’t cupping his dick tugged sharply at his belt.  Then both hands slunk around his hips, roamed up his back.  Levi felt a shudder rock him when the boy pressed an open mouthed kiss to his shoulder, arms holding him close like he actually gave a damn.  _No_.     

“No.”

Levi wasn’t going to let him.  He _couldn’t._

The kid pulled back to look at him, a myriad of emotions parading across his stupid, pretty face.

Bafflement.  Frustration.  Concern.  Wonderment.  Desire.  The brat really was an open book.   

Unfortunately for him, Levi had experienced enough vulnerability tonight. 

“Lie back for me,” he murmured, willing the kid with his eyes to obey.  To broker no argument for once.  Predictably, he was disappointed.

The boy frowned, unmoving.  “But...what about you?”

“Never mind about me,” Levi said gently, ignoring how his stomach twisted.  “Lie down, sunshine.  It’s alright.”

The kid scooted backwards, laying himself among the pillows and soft, soft sheets.  Levi took him in this way, beautiful and anticipating pleasure.  He wasn’t delusional enough to call it _lovemaking_ – but it was much, much better than the grisly alternative. 

_The kid’s body twisted and broken, lying in the grass…_

Cursing that horrible, dark part of his mind that would conjure such images, he bent forward and closed his mouth around the boy’s nipple. 

_The boy was safe here._

_They both were._

The youth cried out in surprise, fingers clutching in Levi’s hair as his back arched.  With a growl Levi pried the kid’s hands loose, and pinned them to the bed by his wrists.  And there they stayed as Levi ventured to the other hardened nub, sucking and biting, the sounds the kid made chasing the last dredges of his hallucination away.                  

He paused in his ministrations to reach over to the nightstand, rummaging around in the drawer for a moment before returning to the boy.  Levi bent down and mouthed his way down the kid’s stomach, pausing to nibble and lick at a sharp hipbone.  The boy gasped at Levi’s attentions, twisting and squirming underneath him in his impatience, fingers tangled in his sheets. 

After teasing the boy mercilessly for what seemed like hours, Levi finally sat up and ripped open the condom packet with his teeth.  The kid watched on, eyes wide and mouth hanging open, panting. 

Without further preamble, Levi rolled the condom onto the boy.  Amusingly, the youth seemed torn between looking at Levi’s expression and watching his hands while he worked, green eyes darting madly back and forth.  A lovely flush had spread up his chest and his throat, dusting his cheeks and the tips of his ears. 

Then slowly, so the boy could stew in anticipation, Levi bent down and took his time swallowing the kid’s cock down to the root.

All in all, it was so easy – and rather pleasant.  He’d never really been fond of giving blowjobs, but he needed to take the boy’s focus away from him.    

He was glad he did.

The kid was _extremely_ vocal throughout; Levi wasn’t sure that he could be quiet if his life depended on it.  But his little noises were sweet, innocent things.  Not the deep, masculine grunting that Levi had become accustomed to.  But high, wanton sounds.  Sudden and then cut-off, as if consistently catching himself by surprise. 

Levi thought they were lovely.  They stirred something primal and base deep in his gut.

And the way the kid _thrashed_ beneath him.  Levi had given him a sharp smack against his thigh when one particular thrust had nearly choked him, and had from then on resolved to have the boy’s hips pinned to the bed, his fingernails gripping tightly into caramel coloured skin.

It was when he started brushing the kid’s entrance with his thumb that the boy came, Levi’s throat working around the length of his cock.  A garbled moan escaped him, head tilting up towards the ceiling, his spine following suit.  And then with a sigh he collapsed, shaking like a leaf, knuckles white from where they were fisting the bedlinens.              

Levi let the boy’s softening cock slip out of his mouth, glad to be rid of the condom’s rubbery taste.  The kid made it tolerable, though; he still smelled like cinnamon and cloves, Levi found, even with his nose buried deep in the nest of hair between the boy’s legs.  Even there, he smelled fucking mouth-watering.  Levi had no clue how he managed it.

He wondered if the boy tasted just as good.            

Levi thought about it as he studied the now prone youth, his face turned into the pillow as his chest heaved with exertion, a ghost of a smile on his mouth.  Long eyelashes swept low across his cheeks...

Levi sighed, stretching himself to stand up when the kid’s hand shot out to grab his wrist.

He stared at their point of contact, affronted.  But before he could snap, the kid beat him to it.

“Where are you going?”  He glared at Levi almost accusingly. 

Levi only stared, face impassive as ever.  “Back to base.”   

“But why?  What about… you’re…” the boy trailed off, nodding at the not-so-subtle bulge in Levi’s pants.

“It’s fine.  I’ll live.”  He made to tug his arm away from the kid’s grasp, but his hold was firmer than Levi anticipated.

“Won’t you stay?” The boy bit his lip, having the _nerve_ to sound hopeful.  “I promise, no more funny business.”

“I haven’t got any more money.”

The kid scoffed.  “Oh, I don’t care about that.  I’ve made more than my fair share tonight, so Madam will be pleased regardless.”

Levi blinked, unsure how to respond to that.  After a few moments he let out a sigh, turning his attention to the window once more.  “Look kid… I really should be getting back –“

“I have a name you know,” the boy bristled.  “It’s Eren.”

“That’s nice.  But I don’t recall asking for it.”

“Well, you’re getting it anyway.  Now you have something to moan the next time you fuck me.”  And then _Eren_ grinned – all teeth – waggling his eyebrows in what he no doubt thought to be a suggestive manner.

Levi nearly choked.  The fucking _insolence_ –

This brat wouldn’t last one day of training in the Cadet Corps.

“That’s assuming I ever come back,” Levi growled.

Eren looked at him then, mischief dancing in his eyes.  He looked like he knew something that Levi didn’t – which was _supremely_ irritating.  He sat up and kneeled in front of Levi on the bed, invading his space.

“Oh, you’ll be back,” he purred, batting his lashes, seemingly undeterred by Levi’s annoyance.  “You can’t resist me.”

Levi _tched_ – a cruel, dismissive sound – and vaulted himself off the bed before the kid got the chance to grab him again.  He went to snag his things from the chair when the boy’s voice stopped him.

“Alright!  Alright – I’m sorry.  I was only kidding, just please don’t leave.  Please?”

Levi rounded on him, teeth practically gnashing with frustration.

“Why do you want me to stay so badly?”

Eren looked away from him, picking at a loose thread in the sheets.  “I… don’t like sleeping by myself.  I feel safer when someone is with me.”  He then lifted his head, turning the full force of his gaze on Levi, jade eyes large and pleading, his mouth pulled down into a pout – the picture of cherubic innocence.

_God fucking dammit._

“Besides, it’s late, it’s cold out, _and_ it’s raining.  Stay here, where it’s nice and warm.”  Eren gave him a soft smile, blinking sleepily.  “And you can leave early in the morning if you really want to.”

Levi hesitated.  He did want to get back to HQ, but riding for at least an hour in the colt and _wet_ – he supressed a shudder.  And he _was_ tired – he could feel the weight of it in his bones.  Then he remembered his Commander, who was probably waiting for him to wrap things up so they could head back together.  It would sure be a shame if he were to spend all night sitting around…

Levi smirked internally, feeling particularly malicious.  He would stay with the boy, and Erwin could go fuck himself for all he cared.

_Serves you right.  Bastard._

“Okay, fine.”  And before Eren could do something stupid like _cheer_ , he snapped, “But for fuck’s sake, clean yourself up first.”

The kid smiled sheepishly, finally disposing of the condom and wiping himself off with a nearby towel.  Levi stripped himself down to his drawers and slid underneath the bed covers, propping up a pillow behind himself so he could sit up comfortably.  Eren, following Levi’s lead, had pulled on a pair of loose pants to sleep in.  He doused all the lights save for the one closest to Levi, locked the door, and slipped into the bed.  He wriggled inwards until he was right beside Levi, and laid his head in Levi’s lap.

“What’s your name?” Eren asked, his voice made softer by the darkness of the room.  His green eyes twinkled in the candlelight. 

“Farlan.”  The lie slid easily out of him. 

“Farlan,” the boy echoed, as if testing it on his tongue.

“Now _you_ have something to scream the next time I fuck you,” Levi rumbled, watching the way Eren’s eyes widened at the jibe.  His mouth split into a surprised grin, laughter spilling out of him.

“It’s about time.  You’ve been holding out on me, old man.”

Levi was silent.  A few moments ticked by.  

Surprised, he noticed that he’d started carding his fingers through Eren’s hair at some point, and had no recollection of ever starting.  He marvelled now at its thickness, and how soft it was to the touch.  There was a lot of it, too, sticking up every which way in a most unruly fashion. 

“So you _are_ in the Scouts,” the boy mused, still clearly pleased with himself for having guessed.  He studied Levi closely, eyes bright and curious.  “But I bet you aren’t just a regular foot soldier… you’re probably in some kind of command position.”

Levi hummed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.  “What makes you say that?”

At that the boy turned his head away.  Levi thought he could make out a slight blush staining his cheeks… or maybe he was just seeing things.      

“Well… you just don’t seem like the kind of man that people would order about all the time.”

Levi didn’t know if he should feel insulted or not.  “You’d be surprised,” he said drily.

Eren faced him again.  “Sooo… team leader?”

“Squad leader, actually.” 

“Aha!  I knew it!” Eren’s face lit up in an instant, admiration etched into his features.  “Oh wow,” he sighed almost dreamily, practically swooning in Levi’s lap.  The boy’s eyes brimmed with emotions that were both foreign and familiar – and too intense to even contemplate.    

“Don’t fucking romanticize it,” Levi snapped, his stomach churning.  The kid blinked up at him, startled by the harshness in his voice.

“It’s not a game.  People die – often right before your eyes.  Families are torn apart.  Many never know which day will be their last…”  He felt bile rising up his throat.  “It’s a fucking nightmare, kid.”

Eren lowered his eyes, shamefaced.  Levi felt the boy stir, pressing himself closer.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to…”          

Levi heaved a bone-deep sigh, a whole new wave of exhaustion washing over him.  He continued petting Eren’s hair as the boy settled into him again, beginning to feel that the gesture was just as calming for him as it was for Eren.

 _He was a disgusting person_.

“You’re young still.  You can’t help your naiveté.” 

But he didn’t think the kid was listening anymore.  Eren’s eyelids had begun to droop, clearly enjoying Levi’s ministrations.  He nestled closer, his entire body curling in towards Levi’s like some kind of great cat.  If he could purr, Levi imagined he’d be doing so now.  

For the next little while, Levi sat in a prostitute’s bed, thinking.  About nothing and everything.  Eren had long since fallen asleep in his lap, his soft breaths as comforting as the sound of rain that was still pattering against the windowpane.  He had to admit – this wasn’t as awful as he thought it was going to be.  It was… nice, to have the warmth and presence of another person in bed with him.  And the boy looked so beautiful as he slept…

Eventually, Levi felt his own eyelids growing heavy.  He leaned over towards the nightstand to blow out the last lamp, plunging the entire room in darkness.  Eren made a protesting sound in his sleep as he was jostled, but settled down again quietly enough when Levi went beneath the covers.  These days he usually found himself catching a few hours here and there sitting upright, more out of habit than anything.  That way, he could be ready in an instant if he needed to be. 

But here, he didn’t feel that need at all.  All seemed safe and quiet as he nestled himself under the covers.             


	4. IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Years my lovelies!!! I'm starting 2018 off fresh with a brand new chapter, after another long overdue period (I'm so sorry again, I'm the worst). I know you guys are accustomed to longer chapters but this one is a bit shorter, which I think I may stick to going forward as writing so much at once can be a bit intimidating for me. I've decided on a little change of pace for this chapter by letting Eren share his point of view for a time. And once again, thank you all for all the amazing comments, likes, and kudos - they are EVERYTHING to me :) Enjoy!

The first time Levi awoke, the room was still shrouded in darkness.  Instantly his senses were on high alert as he prepared himself to vault out of the bed – until he remembered where he was.

And who was still blissfully slumbering away beside him, tucked so completely into his side.

The kid was shifting now (which was probably what woke him in the first place), snuffling in his sleep as he tried somehow to press himself even _closer_ into Levi.

Levi grumbled in protest, unaccustomed to having his personal space so violated when he was trying to sleep, but Eren paid him no mind.  He drew his right leg across Levi’s lower half and threw his arm loosely across his chest, nosing his throat when he pressed his face into Levi’s neck.

With the shuffling done Eren settled down again, breathing out soft _whuffs_ against Levi’s skin.

Blearily, Levi considered his situation.  He was tired, yes.  He was irritated, yes.  But the boy was warm – _so warm_ – and just his scent alone already seemed to be coaxing Levi’s fight or flight instincts back into dormancy. 

 _He was safe.  They were safe_.

All was quiet in the brothel now, save for Eren’s deep breathing.  But despite that – and the fact that he was basically being smothered – Levi felt his eyelids pulling shut once more, warmth and safety and soft sheets lulling him back into oblivion.

~)*(~

 _­­_ Light was beginning to filter into the room the next time Levi opened his eyes.  Eren was still draped across him, snoring lightly into his throat.  Levi thought he could feel a patch of wetness on his skin near the boy’s mouth – _was he being fucking drooled on?_

Levi grimaced with distaste, muttering a curse.  _This was why he never shared his bed when the fucking was over and done with._

Then, as gently as he could, he wriggled his way out of the kid’s grasp.  Eren was still jostled quite a bit despite Levi’s efforts, but thankfully remained in the throes of the ‘death sleep’ that only teenagers were capable of. 

Part of him felt guilty for leaving Eren again this way, but the sooner he left the better.  He’d already stayed much too long as it was…  And he _really_ didn’t want to do the whole ‘morning after’ thing, especially with this kid.  Just the mere thought of the imagined interaction made his stomach turn.   

Though, in truth, he couldn’t pretend like he knew _exactly_ how it would play out.  Would the boy be dismissive of him now that their allotted ‘playtime’ was over, and that he had had a warm body to sleep beside during the night?  Or would those green eyes grow wide with disappointment at his attempt to sneak away without so much as a goodbye?  _Again_.  Or would he want something else from Levi… something unthinkable.  _Out of the question_.

Levi didn’t want to stick around to find out.

He quickly tugged on his clothes and his boots, sparing one last glance at the beautiful boy stretched out in the sheets before leaving, shutting the door quietly behind him.

~)*(~

Levi came upon his Commander downstairs, seated at a table and reading a newspaper.  One leg was crossed over the other, and a steaming mug of coffee sat before him.  He looked fresh and well-rested – not a hair out of place.  They were alone, save for some of the kitchen help running in and out of the room to tidy up tables and the like.  It was still much too early for the brothel to be expecting new customers.

Erwin didn’t look nearly as unruffled as Levi would have liked.  He looked like he slept… like he’d _expected_ to stay overnight.   

Levi _tched_.  

 _So much for revenge_.

The Commander looked up upon hearing Levi’s entrance. 

“Good morning,” Erwin said conversationally.  “You enjoyed yourself last night, I take it?”

Levi grumbled at him, swiping at Erwin’s coffee and helping himself to the warm drink. 

Erwin smirked as Levi sat down across from him, turning his eyes back to his paper.

Levi set the cup down.  “How did you know I was going to stay.”

Ewin sighed good naturedly, shaking his head.  “Well, I knew you were angry with me –”

“Yeah.  No shit,” Levi interrupted with a growl.  

Erwin ignored him.  “ – and I assumed that you would do everything in your power to inconvenience me, as you are so wont to do.”

Levi tossed his head imperiously, shaking his fringe out of his face.  “Jackass.”

“So I thought to myself – _what would Levi do if he were trying to irritate me_?”

Silence.  Levi narrowed his eyes, cool as flint.  “You deserved it.”

“Did I.”

“ _Yes_ , you did,” Levi seethed.  “You’re lucky I don’t fucking kill you after that shit you pulled.”

“Oh Levi, calm down.”

“Calm down?!  I fucking told you that I didn’t want anything to do with that kid anymore, and what do you do?  You took away my only escape, and practically handed my ass to him on a silver platter.”

“I hardly did anything of the sort, and you know it.  Don’t act like this was solely _my_ doing.  If I remember correctly, you didn’t exactly turn him away either.”

Levi muttered savagely under his breath, raking a hand through his hair. 

“Was it really so terrible that you feel the need to be so hostile?”

“That’s not the point, Erwin.  You trapped me.  I told you how I felt about the stupid brat and you fucking trapped me.”

“That’s enough Levi,” Erwin said in a hard voice.  “After all this time, do you still think that I don’t know you?  That I don’t recognize your tells?”

Levi looked away, lowering his gaze.  A muscle jumped in his jaw.

“I could see how much you wanted the boy, and for some reason you were not going to allow yourself to have him.  So I enabled you.”

Levi snorted softly.  “I didn’t have anything to pay him with anyway, so it wasn’t a question of allowing myself or not.”

Erwin raised an eyebrow at him.  “Please.  Something tells me that boy would have dragged you off regardless of how much money was on your person.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” Levi grumbled, his cravat hiding the sudden flush creeping up his neck.  “He’s a whore.  He’s supposed to act that way.”    

Erwin shrugged.  “If you think so.”

Levi glowered at his Commander – a particularly ominous air emanating from him.  “As somebody who was in his shoes for a time, I fucking know so Erwin.  So quit trying to act like you’ve figured out every single damned person you come across.  You may have a knack for reading people – but you know jack shit about what it’s like to live like that.”

Erwin nodded, eyes downcast, seeming unsurprised by his subordinate’s outburst.  He knew firsthand how much of a menace Levi could be when he got defensive.

“You’re right.  I’m sorry; I didn’t intend to upset you.  I was only trying to help.” 

Levi sighed deeply, his anger seeming to drain out of him.  “It’s fine.  Just keep your big nose out of my business next time.”

He did seem placated for now, but Erwin didn’t miss how swiftly Levi had changed the subject when asked why he couldn’t have just refused the boy. 

Erwin smiled.  _Very interesting, Captain_.         

He watched as Levi grew quiet, a remote expression taking over his features.  Pensive, for a few moments, sipping leisurely at what had previously been Erwin’s coffee.  _No matter, someone will bring more along eventually_ , he thought to himself.

Finally, Levi spoke up.  “So.  Did the madam give you anything worthwhile?”

“Nothing overly pertinent.  Some disgruntled grumblings from merchants and the odd MP every now and again, but nothing to concern ourselves with.”

A pause.    

“She did, however have some interesting things to say about your boy, though,” Erwin added casually, continuing to skim through his newspaper. 

Levi’s head snapped up. 

“She noticed the interest you seemed to take in him,” Erwin continued.   “Eren Jaeger, I believe his name was.  Born in the Shiganshina district.  He’s Grisha’s son, the doctor.  I don’t know if you’d ever met him before Shiganshina fell.  He went missing sometime after the attack… along with the boy’s sister, apparently.”

The doctor’s name _sounded_ familiar…

“How unfortunate,” Levi said, sounding bored to his own ears.  “But I’m not sure why you’re telling me this.”

Erwin lowered his paper to give Levi a _look_.  “I thought you’d be a least a little interested in the boy’s origins.”

“Of course not.  He’s just a whore – why should I care?”  Levi huffed, crossing his arms.  “We all have tragic fucking backstories.  What else is new.”

Erwin hummed.

“Well.  Are we going back to HQ or not.”

 _So much for getting more coffee_ , Erwin thought sourly.

As both men got up to leave, they failed to notice the door to the kitchens finally clicking shut.   

~)*(~

Hours later, long after Levi and the Commander had left, Eren awakened. 

He was pulled gently from the blanket of sleep in a way that was almost luxurious, memories of the night before beginning to flow into his consciousness.  Warmth flooded through his veins, as if he’d just been submerged in a hot bath.  He reached blindly for his prize – _Farlan ­–_ with a soft smile on his face, still glowing with pride at how he had managed to get the other man to stay.

But the bed was empty.

Eren’s eyes fluttered open, confused.  In the daylight that now poured into the room, he could plainly see that he was alone. 

A sigh poured out of him, disappointment weighing heavy in his heart.  He squirmed closer to the space where Farlan had lain and buried his face deep into the pillow, still rich with the other man’s scent.  Eren shuddered once with such a desire and longing that it almost burned, before settling down again in the sheets, wishing that it was his soldier he were wrapped around instead.

_You won’t get away so easily next time.  Bastard._

He lay there unmoving for the rest of the morning.

~)*(~

It was one thirty in the afternoon when Eren finally stumbled his way downstairs into the kitchens.  There was a common room of sorts at the back of the building that he made his way into, to greet his fellow courtesans.  This was their private space where they could relax between tricks, converse freely with one another, or prep themselves for their next clients. 

It was here where the majority of them were having lunch currently, gossiping and chatting about nothing in particular. 

Eren loved this room – it allowed them space to breathe when things in the entertaining chamber got too hectic.  Here they could relax, and feel at ease amongst each other.

 “Well well well, look who finally decided to join us,” Etienne sniffed, idly running a hand through his black curls.  “We were wondering when His Majesty would see fit to grace us with his presence.”

_Well, nearly at ease._

“Hmm, sounding more bitter than usual Etti,” Eren snarked back, grinning at some of the giggling girls sat around the table playing cards.

“Oh Eren, don’t tease him,” Gunhild tittered pityingly. “He’s had a rough night.”  The girls erupted into guffaws once again, while Etienne’s face bloomed red as an apple.       

“It’s not fair!” he protested, his blue, doe-like eyes round with indignation.  “Why does this – this _prima donna,”_ he gestured wildly in Eren’s direction, “ – get to sleep in while the rest of us are up with the sunrise and working the whole morning away?” 

Eren turned to him, popping a few grapes into his mouth.  “Because I’m Jelena’s favourite,” he said matter-of-factly, a malicious smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.  “And I make her _way_ more money than your scrawny ass ever will.”

Etienne swore, pushing himself out of his chair with Eren going to meet him, when their friends got in the middle of it.  Two girls and a boy ushered Etienne out of the room, while the rest held Eren back and vainly attempted to soothe him.

This was the sight that greeted Armin upon his entering the common room a moment later; Eren huffing and puffing his anger out like some great, unhinged beast.

Arms full of paperwork, he could only raise an eyebrow at his friend as if to say – _really Eren_?  

“I swear, you two seem to make it a point of getting a rise out of each other,” Armin said a few minutes later when Eren had calmed down.  They were sat on a small couch in the far corner of the room, talking amongst themselves as the others ate and laughed at goddess knows what.

“Etti brings it upon himself,” Eren grumbled.  “He’s a dick.”  Eren leaned back into the couch, tilting his head back on the cushions.

“Oh, and I’m sure you’re _completely_ blameless,” Armin replied, sarcasm thick in his voice. 

Eren snorted, turning his head towards his friend.  “Obviously,” he said, giving Armin a cheeky grin.          

Armin only sighed good-naturedly, shaking his head.  A few moments passed in companionable silence, until Armin spoke again.

“So, anything interesting happen last night?”

Suddenly, Eren’s face lit up with such intensity that it was almost blinding.  As if someone had laid out baskets of his favourite pastries at his feet and told him not to hold back.  He leaned into Armin’s space, green eyes wide and glowing.

“Oh my gods, Armin – _he came back_.” 

“… who came back?”  Despite the question, Armin already had a fairly good idea.

“The soldier!  The _Scout_!”  Eren was literally at the end of his seat, thrumming with excitement.  “And he _is_ a Scout, he told me himself.”

“Oh, really?!  Wow, that… that’s really something.”

“I know,” said Eren, with no small amount of pride.  “I told you didn’t I?  I knew from the beginning.”

“Yes, yes, you did…” 

“He said his name was Farlan,” Eren sighed.  “Such a gorgeous name… no less than he deserves.”

Armin listened as his friend went on and on and on about this soldier, teeth worrying at his lower lip.  Thankfully, Eren failed to notice his discomfort.

“He’s beautiful, Armin.  By far the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen in my _life_ ,” Eren swooned, falling back dramatically onto the couch again.  “And he fucks like a _god –“_  

“Yeah, so you’ve said.”  Armin tried to sound as enthusiastic as Eren but he feared he was coming up short.  He’d always been a terrible liar.

“He’s so incredible.  And last week, when I overheard those Garrison soldiers talking about how the Scouts were going on their next mission that day, I was terrified.  I had a feeling deep in my gut that he was going with them.”

“You sure that ‘feeling’ was in your gut, and not in your cock?” Armin asked drily.

Eren’s eyebrows drew down, affronted.  “ _Yes_ I’m sure.  Anyway, I knew he’d be with them, and when he didn’t come back for _days_ afterward… I thought that maybe he’d…”

Armin nodded, placing his hands over his friend’s.  “I know.”

“It was awful.  I was so worried… I looked for him every night since then.  And last night, as if I’d willed him out of thin air, I saw him while I was dancing.  It was almost like magic.”  Eren chuckled softly, cheeks flushing pink as he scratched his head.  Armin recognized the gesture – Eren always did that when he was self-conscious.

"I just wish i could  _do_ something," Eren said fiercely, eyes alight with passion.  "I'm so sick of being cooped up here and being so damned helpless... I should be  _out there_.  Fighting!  With the Scouts... with  _him_..."  His expression grew dazed.  "I want to fight alongside him, Armin.  I _need_ to.  For our freedom, our families, everything we lost..."

Armin smiled sadly at his friend, squeezing Eren's hands.  "I know how much you've always wanted to join the Scouts... but right now, we're here.  We owe Jelena our lives, for taking us in all those years ago.  If not for her, we'd all be begging on the streets still.  And your mother..."

Eren blinked a few times, shaking his head.  "...she made us promise not to go.  Remember?"

"Yes," Eren whispered.  How could he not?  He warred with himself nearly every day over it. 

"For now, our place is here.  I know how much we'd talked about seeing beyond the walls when we were younger, but we're safe in this place.  Maybe one day we can find a way to pay our debt to Jelena, and truly fight for our freedom.  For  _everyone's_ freedom.  But for now, you'll have to content yourself with what we have."

Eren smiled at that.  "Yeah,  you're right.  It's frustrating, but at least I have Farlan now.  Maybe he'll give me some answers".  He smiled dreamily.  "I'm not sure if I want to  _be_ him, or be  _in_ him."

Armin snorted, shaking his head fondly.  Eren's excitement was contagious, but Armin had a bad feeling about his friend's current obsession that he couldn’t seem to shake. 

Eren may put on a show of being an indestructible scrapper a lot of the time, but Armin knew his friend’s heart was as fragile as glass.

“I’m glad you’re happy Eren.  But… please be careful.”

Eren’s eyes were on him again, intense and searching, worry furrowing his eyebrows.  “What do you mean?  I’m always careful.”

Armin sighed.  “Just do it, please.  Take care of yourself.  For my sake if not your own.”

A few hours later, Eren took his first customer of the evening upstairs to his room, and did the same thing that he’d been doing for a while now.  He laid back on his bed with a sigh, closed his eyes, and imagined that the cock currently being buried inside him belonged to his steel-eyed soldier instead.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! Please feel free to leave a comment, I really love hearing your thoughts about how the story is progressing. I have a rough idea of where I want this baby to go... but I'd also love to hear about things that you might WANT to see (I know some of you have done so already), and perhaps I can make it happen ;) Until next time darlings xoxo


	5. V

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooo everyone - it's me, back from the dead!! Once again I can't apologize enough for the lateness of this chapter... my personal life had gone to hell in a handbasket a few months ago, so writing and staying focused was very difficult for me. But now the worst is over, and I plan to use writing as a way for myself to heal. I also want you guys to know that this story is never far from my thoughts, and I have every intention of finishing it!!
> 
> Anyways, welcome to Chapter 5! As a means of apology it's also really fucking long, so sorry about that (unless you like long chapters, then hooray for you!). And once again I'd like to thank those of you that have stuck by me all this time - your support is everything. Please feel free to kudos, bookmark, subscribe, and comment - I always love hearing your thoughts. Thank you so much, and enjoy!

 

 _I've begun to realize_  
_That whenever I am with you_  
_You deliver me from the pain in my life_

 _Easy now to recognize_  
_All the misery I have been through_  
_It was beating me to submission_  
_'Til the day you arrived_

_Certainly, I felt alive_

\- Disturbed,  _You're Mine_

 

~)*(~

 

Three days had passed since the latest Brothel Incident. 

Not that Levi was counting. 

As time went by he found himself settling into his routines once again, which provided a grounding sort of relief for his current state of mind.  He pushed himself even harder than usual in his exercise regimes, going until his muscles cried out from exhaustion and sweat dripped into his eyes. 

Currently he sparred with Mike, who was second only to his skill as a warrior within the Survey Corps.  Mike was a surprisingly agile fighter for his size, but not quite fast enough to land a solid blow on Levi just yet.  Levi feinted left and right as Mike lashed out at him with fist and foot, always managing to keep just out of reach.  Despite not yet taking a hit, Mike’s attacks were more than enough to keep Levi on his toes.

This continued on for a while – Mike pursuing him with a single-minded ruthlessness, while Levi always managed to dance out of reach at the last second.  After a few minutes a crowd had begun to form around them, watching the two soldiers with unabashed awe.

Mike loosed an impatient growl.  “Come on!” he bellowed, chest heaving.

Levi struck.

Mike was just able to raise his arm on time to block a savage kick, and tried to shove Levi aside.  Like something weightless, Levi flipped around in mid-air and redoubled his efforts, kicking out mercilessly with deadly precision.  One foot caught Mike in the sternum and he gasped, pain fuelling him as he lashed out with his fists again.

This time Levi met him head-on, blocking punches and throwing in a few jabs of his own.

Long minutes passed as both men practically threw themselves at each other, until the crowds noticed Mike beginning to tire after Levi’s onslaught.  The Captain presented a fearsome sight; fringe dripping with sweat, his white tank top clinging to his chest, teeth bared in a snarl that would have sent weaker men running.  Mike, to his credit, did nothing of the sort – though he did yield when Levi eventually locked his arm around the taller man’s throat. 

Levi released him and took a few steps back, trying to shake out the tension that hummed through his muscles.  He went through countless ODM drills with his squad earlier in the day, ran a few kilometers after that, and then spent an hour or two beating a punching bag until it had nearly dislodged from the ceiling – but it still wasn’t enough.  Levi thought sparring with Mike would finally do the trick, as they were so evenly matched as far as their athletic ability was concerned. 

But he still felt restless… on edge.  For no reason that he could ascertain.  And it was making him irritable. 

Low murmurs drew his attention to a group of young soldiers that had stayed behind after the fight was over, whispering excitedly to each other.

“Don’t you all have somewhere to be,” he growled out at them, stalking in their direction.  They paid their respects to him with a smart salute and more or less fled, knowing better than to stick around and face his ire.  _Smart kids_.      

He _harrumphed_ as Mike chuckled in the background. 

“You’ve got an extra spring in your step today Captain,” he called out, scenting the air.

Levi’s lip curled.  _Here we fucking go_.

“You smell a bit… wound up.”

“Yeah, no shit I’m wound up,” Levi said rounding on Mike, irritation creeping into his voice.  “Erwin’s got a gaggle of new recruits coming in in a few days, and our next mission is only in a couple weeks – which as I’m sure you’re aware is not nearly enough fucking time to get them ready.  We’re still reeling from the last expedition’s losses – there’s still families we have to track down and notify.  And I have no _fucking_ idea what’s even going on with the new –”

“ _Levi,_ ” Miki said, his voice resonant and grounding.  “Relax.  Everything will sort itself out.”

His eyes narrowed into a withering glare.  “Wow, I’m cured.  Why didn’t I think of that?”

Levi felt a shallowness in his chest that he couldn’t seem to fill, his deep inhales stuttering whenever he came close.  He hadn’t realized his breathing had become so erratic during their sparring.  Levi made a frustrated sound, sweeping a hand through his bangs.

Mike gave him a searching look.  “I know its not really my business but… if you ever need to offload some steam, you know where to find me.”

“Thanks,” Levi muttered, watching Mike’s back as he walked away.

_Since when did he become so fucking transparent?_

~)*(~

His frustration reached its peak early in the evening.

Levi was in his room trying to sort out some paperwork.  He was hellbent on finishing it _tonight_ – Erwin had been harping on and on about it for the last few days and if he asked Levi one more fucking time when he’d have it ready he would jam the entire thing up that asshole’s – well, asshole. 

But he _hated_ this.  Absolutely loathed it.  Sitting for hours at a desk, pen in hand, waiting for the damned words to come to him as he twitched and fidgeted.  He always had a hard time with this part of his job.

It nearly bored Levi to tears.  He was uninterested, and already he could feel his mind beginning to wander.

Suddenly that stupid brat was there, in his mind’s eye.  Whenever he had a spare moment to himself these days, with nothing else to occupy his thoughts, that boy would worm his way into his conscience like an annoying puppy demanding attention.  It was frustrating and infuriating as hell, making it impossible to focus on absolutely _anything_.

Now Eren looked at him from beneath his fringe with those heavy bedroom eyes, mouth pulled halfway between a smile and a smirk – as if he was unsure which of the two roles he would play tonight.  The earnest lover…or the impertinent little devil. 

Levi didn’t care, a resigned moan slipping from him as he pressed the heel of his palm against the bulge in his pants, his head falling back against his chair.  _You’re so fucking weak_ , a voice in his head berated him, thick with scorn. 

Now that his body was experiencing sex somewhat regularly, it was beginning to crave it.  Apparently, a few romps were all it took for his libido to have awakened completely, and all he could seem to think about these days was the next time he could have that boy underneath him. 

Well, it didn’t _have_ to be Eren… practically anyone good-looking would do.

Levi squeezed himself through his trousers, eyelids fluttering, flashes of blue-green eyes bombarding his thoughts without mercy. 

Just a physical need, Levi told himself.  Everyone experienced this from time to time – it was a part of being human.

 _If only it weren’t so fucking inconvenient_.

Levi snarled out his frustration.  He _could_ just get himself off right here and now, relieve some of the tension –

An image of Eren kneeling between his legs materialized in his brain; bright green eyes never leaving his own as the boy bit at his thighs, licked a strip up his cock in a way that _defined_ obscenity.    

That possibility alone was infinitely more appealing then masturbation.  Undoubtedly.

He swore, staring accusingly at the piles of paper on his desk.  They could wait a little while longer.

Resolute, he stood and grabbed his jacket before he left the room.

~)*(~

Part of Levi hated how he now knew his way to the _Phoenix_ like the back of his hand. 

Upon entering the brothel, the smells of incense and food from the kitchens assaulted his senses.  Though he couldn’t really complain as he much preferred that to the cloying stench of body odour.

The brothel was at medium capacity and was filling up quickly as the sun set, as men sought out sate their hunger for the evening – in more ways than one. 

Levi supposed he now had to include himself in this group of pathetic fucks. _How embarrassing._

He took a seat at an empty table at the edge of the room and scanned the crowd, unease prickling at his skin.

“Is there anything I can get you sir?” a young girl asked as she approached his table, fluttering her eyelashes when he glanced up at her.  She was tall and thin, long red hair hanging down to her waist.     

“A glass of whiskey.”

“Of course.”  She smiled at him before sauntering away, hips swaying. 

Levi resumed his search, while taking in the debauchery surrounding him.  A few of the prostitutes were dancing in the centre of the seating area while some men cheered on.  Some were draped over Garrison officers that were sitting down, others tugged on the arms of men holding them as they tried to lead them upstairs.

Levi had probably scanned the room about thirty times at this point, but Bright Eyes was nowhere to be seen.

 _He’s probably already with someone_.

Unbidden his hands clenched, upper lip curling into a sneer.  Levi’s stomach began to knot and unknot itself over and over, much like dough being kneaded for bread.  He _tched_.

 _Of course he’s with someone else.  He’s a whore; it’s what he does._  

It was then that Levi realized someone was approaching him.  A young boy, who looked even _younger_ than Eren, he thought sickeningly, with a beautiful mane of black curls, and large blue eyes.  Slight and very androgynous-looking, the boy made quite a striking picture.  He came right up to Levi’s side, smiling with cherubic innocence.  Instantly Levi was wary, eyeing the boy up and down.

“Can I help you?” Levi asked tersely. 

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” the boy said, in a voice as smooth as honey.  He had long eyelashes too, much like a woman’s.   

“You looked so lonely, sitting here by yourself,” he went on, pulling over a nearby chair so he could sit right next to Levi, peering up into his eyes.  Levi practically jerked backwards, staring at the boy as if he’d grown a second head.

The kid blinked, surprised.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he simpered, moving slowly so that he crowded Levi’s space again.  “You’re just so _incredibly_ handsome… I’m having a hard time keeping my hands to myself.”  Then without warning he pressed his hand between Levi’s legs.

Levi gasped – half in surprise at the sudden pressure on his cock, and half in outrage.  Quick as a dart he grabbed the boy’s wrist, yanking his arm up.  He leaned in close to the kid’s face.  “You’re lucky that I’m horny as fuck right now, or else you would’ve lost that hand.”

The kid stared at him, fear finally starting to creep into those pretty blue eyes.  His pupils grew larger and larger with each passing second. 

“Well sir, you’d be well within your rights to punish me.” Levi didn’t know if the boy meant that to sound coy or not, but all he could hear was the tremor in the kid’s voice. 

Irritated he released the boy’s wrist, scowling as he continued to survey the room.  “Go away.”

“Please sir.  I’m very sorry – I shouldn’t have been so forward.”  The kid widened his eyes, pleading – his full lips set in a pout.  “Let me make it up to you.”  This time he did sound sultry, looking up at Levi from beneath his lashes. 

Pursing his mouth, Levi decided.  He didn’t see Eren anywhere, so this kid would have to do.  He was certainly beautiful too.  _It didn’t matter anyway – a fuck is a fuck._

What did it matter if this boy didn’t have that little spark in his eyes and a shit-eating grin to go along with it.  Or that he was actually _shorter_ than Levi by an inch or two, and looked like he hadn’t seen the sun once his entire life.

 _It didn’t matter_.

Levi allowed the kid to drag him off to the prostitutes’ private rooms, resolutely not making eye contact with that idiot guarding the entrance.  Levi felt his glare practically burning into his skin, and decided that this guy clearly had it out for him; he was going to waste a lot of valuable energy glowering at all the people Eren slept with.

_What a moron._

The boy led him upstairs and down the exact same set of hallways that Eren had taken him all those times before.  They passed by Eren’s open door – and Levi resolutely did not look inside. 

The boy’s room lay just a few feet away.  He moved to unlock the door, ushering Levi inside.  Then the boy stared down the hallway for a few moments, his face erupting into a smug smirk for a moment before closing the door and locking it behind him.  His attention turned to Levi, glancing over him with appraising eyes, tongue peeking out to swipe across his lower lip.

“So, about paym-“

“I’ll give you fifty.  Gold.”  Levi fished the purse out of his jacket pocket and held it out to the kid, whose jaw had fallen open.

“Fi- fifty?  Oh, wow.”  The boy took the pouch with trembling fingers, staring at it with disbelief. 

“Are we going to get started or what?  I haven’t got all night.”  Restlessness and impatience gnawed at Levi with such a fury now – he felt his temper fraying away second by second. 

“Oh yes!  Of course, I’m sorry sir.”  Shaking himself, the kid went to place his fee in his own whicker basket, sitting on an end table by the door.  He then turned to Levi, making a show of unbuttoning his white blouse.

“How do you want me?” he purred, lowering his head so that his dark curls fell into his eyes.

“Get on the bed,” Levi barked.  “And strip.”

The boy gave him a smirk as he bounded away.  He threw himself on his bed, tearing at his clothes while never taking his eyes off of Levi. 

Levi for his part only removed his boots and jacket, hanging up the latter before approaching the boy. 

The kid was fully nude now, and pulled away from his night stand with lube and condoms in both hands.  He sat down on his haunches and placed the items in front of him, looking up at Levi with an expectant smile.  His eyes wandered hungrily over Levi’s frame.

“Aww, no fair,” the boy whined, reaching for Levi’s shirt.  “I want to see you too… I bet you’re magnificent,” he breathed in a husky voice, looking up again to meet Levi’s eyes.

His words may have just as well been a whisper of wind for all the effect they had on Levi.  He promptly smacked the kid’s hand away, fighting not to physically recoil away from him.    

The boy rubbed at his hand, the stricken expression on his face more likely due to his shock at being rejected than any physical hurt.

“I’m s-sorry…”

“Turn around.  On your hands and knees.”

Still seeming shocked, the kid did as he was told.  His lovely, round little ass was just as pale as the rest of him, his skin nearly glowing in the low lighting of his room.

Levi climbed onto the bed, positioning himself just behind the kid.  The boy, feeling the mattress dip where Levi now sat, pushed himself backwards into the older man, gasping when the roughness of Levi’s pants rubbed against his skin.

Almost instinctively Levi’s hands latched onto the boy’s hips, digging his thumbs into the delicate ridges of the kid’s hipbones.  He seemed like he would shatter like glass if Levi gripped too hard. 

The boy pushed his rump back into Levi’s crotch again, and moaned when Levi rocked into him.

The kid sighed, the upper half of his body folding down onto the bed, fingers knotting into the sheets.  “Take me.  Take me _please._ ” 

Levi growled, needing no more encouragement.

He tried to loosen the boy as fast as he possibly could without hurting him; it was a difficult balance, but he managed.  His cock was growing stiff and rigid in his trousers, getting more and more difficult to ignore.  The kid was quite vocal during his ministrations, which also told Levi no harm was being done. 

After a few excruciating minutes, Levi withdrew his fingers and began unbuttoning his pants.  He gave a hiss of pleasure when his cock was freed and rolled on a condom, slicking himself up in haste.  

It seemed he wasn’t the only impatient one.  The boy kept pushing his ass up against him while Levi was trying to apply the lube, until he eventually grabbed onto the kid again to make him stop.

“Stay still,” he growled lowly as he began to push himself inside.  The kid let out a series of moans until Levi was fully seated, both of them breathing hard as they adjusted to the feeling of the other.

The boy whined when Levi started to move, arching his spine in pleasure.  He panted for Levi to fuck him harder, faster – but Levi was already lost.  The image of the boy in front of him had shifted and warped, colours and shades all dancing around his head in a blur – and suddenly, it was Eren bent forward before him, his tanned skin luminous and beautiful against the whiteness of the sheets.  He seemed to glow as he lifted his head, swiveling it round to level Levi with such a wicked smirk, his wild hair falling across his forehead… Levi felt the breath stutter out of his lungs. 

“What’s the matter, old man,” Eren teased, laughter alighting those huge, gorgeous eyes.  “Have I tired you out already?”

A savage sound clawed its way out of Levi’s throat as his hips pulled back and snapped forward in the space of an instant, forcing Eren further into the sheets.  Levi heard a gasp of surprise before throwing himself forward again and again, not leaving any time for Eren to recover himself.  He was rewarded with a devastated mewl, goosebumps ricocheting down his spine.  

Levi rolled his hips forward slowly this time, savouring the tight warmth enveloping his cock.  Eren moaned – a high, sweet sound – his back bowing further backwards.  Levi breathed out a sigh, bending forward to press his forehead against Eren’s back.  The boy’s skin was hot to the touch and trembling slightly, the cinnamon and clove smell of him somehow binding together the frayed edges of Levi’s nerves.  His hands slid across Eren’s sides, one hand moving lower to circle the boy’s cock.  Eren gasped again, pushing his hips backwards with fervour – and Levi let his need take over. 

He pounded furiously into the kid, occasionally sinking his teeth into the caramel skin of Eren’s back, his shoulder blades, his hand moving rapidly beneath them both.  The boy’s heavy panting told Levi he was close. 

It was when he felt Eren’s ass tighten around him that he finally came, his release torn out of him like a blow to the stomach.  Fireworks lit up behind his eyelids.

But when he heard Eren moan his name into the corners of his consciousness, his _real_ name, he knew in an instant that he was so _fucking_ screwed.

Because it wasn’t Eren beneath him when he opened his eyes.  The pale skin of the other boy – the other _prostitute_ his mind supplied bitterly – was littered with crescent shaped bruises left behind by his teeth.  His hips also sported purpling marks from where Levi had gripped him.  The boy himself still thankfully seemed to be experiencing the afterglow of his own orgasm, his eyes closed as he gasped into the sheets, and didn’t stir when Levi pulled out of him. 

Levi hung his head in shame, defeat weighing heavily in the slump of his shoulders.  His stomach felt tight, and he knew that if he didn’t leave right this second he was going to be sick.   

He swore the taste of Eren’s skin still lingered on his tongue. 

 _This wasn’t fucking happening to him.  He couldn’t feel this way about a damned prostitute.  He couldn’t feel this way about_ anyone. _He wouldn’t allow it._

This wasn’t happening.

“Oh, wow,” the dark-haired boy sighed.  He lifted his head to give Levi a sleepy smile.  “I think I’ve just seen the face of God.”    

As if electrocuted, Levi sprung away from him and off the bed.  He discarded the condom and cleaned himself up as fast as he could.  Levi was dimly aware of the boy asking what was wrong in the background, but couldn’t care less.

He grabbed his jacket and strode out of the room without a word. 

~)*(~

Eren was _beyond_ furious.

He’d been in his room changing the bandage on his arm when he heard a pair of footsteps climbing the stairs, along with Etienne’s high, annoying giggle. 

He huffed, pitying the poor bastard that had chosen Etti as their choice of entertainment for the night.

Eren had looked up out of curiosity as they passed by his door – and felt his heart lurch in his chest.

That man with Etti looked so much like his Scout… his Farlan... 

_Was he going insane?  Or seeing things maybe?_

He vaulted off his bed, wincing as his sore limbs protested, and peeked down the hallway.

The Wings of Freedom on Farlan’s jacket were unmistakable, as was his undercut, and the proud way in which he held himself. 

It _was_ him.

Eren felt his knees go weak as he sagged against the doorway.

With growing horror he watched as Farlan stepped into Etienne’s room.  Just when Etti was about to close the door, he stuck his head over the threshold and caught Eren’s shocked expression.

The stupid bastard had to nerve to give Eren a _wink_ , accompanied by the smuggest smile Eren had ever seen him wear, and shut the door.

Eren’s mouth fell open in outrage, red bleeding into his vision.

_He was going to kill that fucking runt._

Eren stormed back into his room, pacing restlessly back and forth.  Fury burned through him, boiling his blood as his body shook with the force of it – but there was no outlet for his rage.  His lips pulled back from his teeth in a soundless snarl, thoughts racing.

Farlan was _his_.  He’d staked his claim more than once, to the point where every single whore in that brothel knew he belonged to Eren, and wouldn’t dare lay a finger on him for fear of Eren’s wrath.

But Etienne did _love_ to provoke him.  That little shitstain knew exactly what he was doing. 

Eren growled, jealousy sinking its poison deep into his heart.  And a hurt was blossoming underneath – so unreasonable and juvenile that he almost laughed aloud at himself. 

_How could Farlan go with someone else?_

How could he?

 _That’s easy_ , a voice in his head purred.  _He’s gorgeous – and a soldier no less.  He could have anyone he wanted_.  _So why would he want just you?_

Eren sank down onto his bed, shoulders curling in on himself. 

Some foolish part of him had hoped Farlan was now coming to the _Phoenix_ solely for him – that his fondness for Eren was what was luring him to Trost from the Scouts’ headquarters.  But that wishful thinking had been crushed into nonexistence with a swift brutality that nearly left him gasping for breath. 

It was stupid…and he _knew_ it was stupid.  This was a whorehouse - men only came here for one thing.  But he couldn’t help but hope… 

Since the second he laid eyes on him, Eren knew that Farlan was haunted by things he could only imagine.  The Fall of Shiganshina had left Eren with his own share of trauma, but Farlan was completely shrouded in it.  And yes, Eren had witnessed how frightening Farlan could be when he was angry.  But despite that, and despite the horrors he must have lived through, he still treated Eren like no man ever had before.  With consideration, respect – and a gentleness that seemed so at odds with his outward appearance and demeanour. 

Farlan was always so careful with him, like… like he was something precious.

Eren swallowed thickly, tears burning behind his eyes.

Truth be told, he didn’t really know what he’d been expecting with this whole thing.  Did he really think that Farlan would only want him from now on?  _Of course not_ , Eren thought bitterly.  He himself was a whore for God’s sake – monogamy wasn’t something he was overly familiar with either. 

But despite all of Eren’s reasoning he couldn’t help the way his stomach churned, how it felt like he was going to be sick when images of Farlan with Etienne together invaded his mind.    

Eren shut his eyes tightly, as if that would somehow bring his thoughts under control.  If anything, the voices in his head grew louder and more insistent on his misery.

_Farlan is a man of flesh and blood just like any other, and just like any other man, he has a weakness for frail, pretty things._

_You’re nothing.  You’ve never been anything.  Of course Farlan can sense that._

_At the end of the day, you’re just a body to fuck._

Eren dropped his head, a whimper stuttering out of him. 

He lost track of how long he’d been sitting on his bed, his thoughts spiraling downwards with increasing intensity.  Suddenly, he heard a door open from down the hall.

Eren’s head whipped up, heart in his throat, just in time to see Farlan passing by his room – the tan jacket in his arms was hard to mistake.

Wait.  He was _leaving_.

Eren threw himself off his bed for the second time that day, hurtling himself towards the doorway when Etienne stepped in front of him, blocking his way.  He was smiling – as if he’d gotten a one-way ticket to a resplendent life in the Capital. 

Eren glared down at the shorter boy, his earlier anger igniting within him quick as a stricken match. 

“Etti,” he growled.  A warning.

Etienne laughed, a cruel glint in his beautiful blue eyes.  “What’s wrong Eren?  Are we upset that I _finally_ got to play with your little toy?”

That was the last straw.

Eren roared, blood pounding in his head, and threw himself at the other boy.  They tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs, Etienne letting out a screech of his own as his nails sought to shred Eren’s skin into ribbons.

Snarling at the pain, Eren let his fists rain down on the boy beneath him without mercy.  Only his rage guided him now, the world around him dimming at the edges.

~)*(~

Levi was halfway down the stairs when the screaming started. 

And not the playful sort either; it sounded like two alley cats locked in a fight to the death.

He would know – he’d heard it enough in his lifetime to recognize it.

Levi shot back up the staircase, adrenaline coursing through him.  Already some of the other prostitutes had come out of their rooms to see what all the commotion was about, looking around nervously at each other.  They froze when they saw him, eyeing the Wings of Freedom on his jacket with wide eyes.

Levi paid them no mind – especially when he recognized the two boys currently locked in a violent embrace, rolling around on the floor and trying to tear each other to pieces. 

“ _Hey!”_ he shouted, dashing forward while the other whores moved back to give him room.  The boys paid him no mind, their yowls and screeches drowning out all other sound.

“THAT’S ENOUGH,” Levi roared, grabbing the black-haired boy by the scruff of his neck and hauling him off of Eren.  He promptly tossed the boy down the hallway as if he were no more than a sack of potatoes, not feeling an inch of remorse when he whimpered upon landing.

“Eren,” Levi heard himself breathe, his voice laced with a queer combination of reproach and relief.  The kid was an absolute mess; there was a horrific purpling bruise just under his right eye along with a much smaller one on his chin, and his bottom lip was split. 

Eren looked up at him, seemingly in a daze.  “Farlan?”  He was still panting harshly as a result of his exertion. 

“Yeah,” Levi murmured, distracted.  Upon further inspection he noticed more bruising around Eren’s throat, his shoulders, and his arms – along with a host of angry pink scratch marks.  There was a dressing wrapped around his lower left arm as well.   Levi had a feeling he would find more under his clothing.  The thought settled uneasily in the pit of his stomach.

One thing was for sure – Eren didn’t get all of these bruises just now.  Some looked to be a few days old – and Levi most definitely did not remember Eren having them the last time he was here. 

Eren said his 'name' again and Levi blinked, realizing he’d been staring.  Out of the corner of his eye his saw the black-haired boy rise on shaky legs and limp back to his room.

“Come on,” Levi said gruffly, hauling Eren to his feet.  Then Levi turned to the other prostitutes still milling about in the hallway, whispering amongst each other. 

“You can all go back to minding your own fucking business now,” Levi said, the thinly-veiled threat rumbling deep in his voice.  In an instant they scurried off, the hallway empty once again.

After a string of hisses Eren was able to stand with Levi’s help, and together they hobbled back into Eren’s room.  Levi sat the kid carefully on his bed, before going to close and lock the door. 

Levi folded himself down beside Eren, taking the boy’s face in his hands to further inspect him for injuries.

“What the _fuck_ did you think you were doing,” Levi growled, tilting Eren’s head to the side.  The kid flinched.

Levi pulled back to get a better look at him.  Thankfully Eren no longer looked dazed but his face was the picture of misery, his eyebrows drawn together in an angry grimace.  He refused to meet Levi’s eyes.      

“Eren,” he said, voice low with authority. 

But still the boy defied him.  Eren only huffed, shrugging off Levi’s hands and turning away from him. 

“I’m fine,” he said.  Petulance and something else made his voice wobble.

Levi’s eyes narrowed. 

“Quit acting like such a fucking child and tell me what happened.”

“Why do _you_ care?” Eren snapped.  Levi blinked, taken aback by the sudden viciousness in his tone.  “Why don’t you go coddle _Etienne_ instead.”  The other boy’s name was spat out with such disgust and venom that Levi felt distantly grateful that he intervened when he did.    

Otherwise there might not have been anything left of that other kid once Eren had finished with him.

Levi sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair.  “Eren, you can’t just fucking attack people like that.”  The irony of himself passing on this advice was certainly not wasted on him… however, he and Eren were from completely different worlds. 

“You keep that up and one day you’re gonna get yourself kille-“

Eren whirled on him, his face twisted in outrage.  “Don’t you get it?!” he cried, his beautiful blue-green eyes alight with countless emotions that Levi couldn’t even begin to place.       

Levi just stared, at a complete loss for what was happening.  Eren’s distress was palpable, but he hadn’t a clue what to say. 

_Why was he acting like this?_

Suddenly, it hit him. 

Eren attacked Etienne _right after_ they’d slept together… that couldn’t be a coincidence.  Of course it wasn't. 

The current hurt and betrayal in Eren’s eyes told him he was right. 

The realization jolted through Levi in a feverish wave, his body going from scorching hot to freezing cold all in the same instant, uncertainty prickling up his spine.  He felt the hairs on his neck stand on end, something heavy catching in his throat.

_Oh Eren…_

“Are you… is this you being jealous?  Seriously?”

Eren’s eyes widened for a moment, staring dumbstruck at Levi as his cheeks reddened.  Mortified, his head drooped, and he began picking out some imaginary threads from his quilt.  It was essentially an admission of guilt. 

 _The brat literally fucked people for a living.  And he was_ jealous? _Where the hell was this coming from?_

Levi ran a hand through his bangs, suddenly exhausted. 

“Eren…,” he tried in a soft voice.  The boy didn’t respond.  For fuck’s sake, Levi was balls deep in that other kid only a few minutes ago, and still he remembered how he thought of only Eren.  And not even consciously either.  It was almost as if he’d been bewitched somehow, and was no longer capable of enjoying fucking other people.

Levi shuddered.  

“I don’t understand.”

Eren did look up at that, a fierce light in his eyes.  “You are _mine_.”

Levi blinked, his chest suddenly feeling much too tight.  “What?”

“In this brothel, you are mine.  I marked you.  A few days ago, when I stopped in the middle of my dance to go to you.  Remember?”

Of course Levi remembered.  He would most likely remember that moment until the day he died.

Eren jutted out his chin and tilted his head up, proud.  “Well, that was me claiming you.  Everyone here knew not to take you, after that.”  The longer Eren spoke, the brighter the red stain on his cheeks became.

“Ah.”  Levi thought he could feel his own cheeks beginning to warm.  “I guess your friend didn’t get the memo then.”

Eren shot him a nasty glare.  “Etienne is _not_ my friend, and he definitely knew that you were off-limits.  He’s just an insecure little bitch who would jump at any chance to make my life miserable.”

 _Off-limits??_ Levi’s head spun, guilt weighing heavy in his gut. 

“So… us sleeping together made you miserable?” 

Eren scowled, looking away.  “What do you think.”       

Levi sighed, scrubbing a tired hand across his face.  _When did this get so fucking complicated?_

Suddenly he found himself speaking again.  “For the record, I did come for you.”

Eren’s head shot up, levelling the full force of his jewel eyes at Levi.  The look of wonder on his face was unmistakable.  “You did?” he asked in a small voice.  The hope in his voice almost too much for Levi to bear.  

He grunted in affirmation.  “But when I couldn’t find you…”  Levi’s gaze traveled down Eren’s body, taking in all the angry bruises and cuts.  He felt his upper lip curl.

“You went off with someone else,” Eren finished sourly.

 “… so that’s why you’re up here.”

“What?  Oh…”  Eren followed Levi’s stare to the blue and purple splotches that marred his skin.  “Yeah.  Madam hasn’t deemed me fit to entertain just yet.”  He smiled, bitter.  “People don’t like playing with beat up toys.”

“Don’t say that,” Levi said sharply.  He lifted Eren’s left arm, taking a closer look at the dressing below his elbow.

“When did this happen?  Who did this to you?”  A deadly calm washed over him then, his mind clear and focused as he imagined all the ugly things he would do to whomever was responsible for hurting Eren.  Some of the violence in his thoughts must have carried over into his voice, because the kid shuddered when he spoke.  “And don’t say its all from just now, because bruises don’t look like that after only a couple minutes.”

“It was three days ago – when you were last here.  The evening of the day you snuck out on me.  _Again_.”  Levi stifled a snort at the petulance in Eren’s tone.  “That night… I brought a man – a Garrison Officer – up here, and he attacked me.  I, I tried to fight back, but he was too strong.”  Levi looked up into Eren’s eyes and saw that fury still glittering away like the embers left after a great fire.  Regardless if Eren knew how to fight properly or not, Levi knew he would’ve given the other bastard hell. 

“He beat me to a pulp and basically left me for dead.  I think Klaus found me later, but that whole night was a blur.”    

A muscle jumped in Levi’s jaw.

“And how do you feel now?”

Eren shrugged.  “A bit sore, but overall pretty okay.”

“Good.”  Levi sat back.  Made himself comfortable. 

“What did the guy look like?”

Eren frowned, eyebrows furrowing.  “Why?”

“Just curious.  Humour me.”

“Uhm, well… I don’t really remember much…”

Levi waited.

“He was a bit taller than me, kinda fat.  And I think he had long red hair – or maybe it was blond…”

A picture was beginning to come together in Levi’s mind.

“…and he had a scar, I remember that.  Ran right across his eye.”

 _Aha_. 

“I mean, what kind of person does that?” Eren fumed.  “Setting out to hurt people who can’t defend themselves?”

“Cowards.”  Levi met his eyes again, could _feel_ the helpless rage stirring inside the kid, and felt his own stoke slowly within him. 

Levi knew exactly who had done this.  And that asshole was going to regret it. 

“Not like you, though,” Eren said softly, his eyes once again filled with that foreign emotion.  Whatever it was, it made Levi want to high-tail it out of that brothel and run screaming for the hills.  

But by some miracle, his body stayed rooted to the spot.

“You don’t know me, kid.”  His voice sounded hoarse to his own ears. 

Eren cocked his head, his mouth curving into a smirk.  “Maybe not very well… yet,” he murmured, crawling forwards across the bed.

He took great care in settling himself in Levi’s lap, draping his arms over the other man’s shoulders.  “But I’d like to.”  Eren leaned in close, staring at himself reflected in the cool steel of Levi’s eyes.  

Levi’s body had frozen, paralyzed both by the voice screaming inside him to get the fuck out of there, and the dizzying calm that washed over him as Eren’s scent assaulted his senses.

_God, this kid has such huge fucking eyes…_

“But I know you aren’t a coward,” Eren sighed, rubbing his head against Levi’s. 

Levi couldn’t have said why, but the gesture sent a stab of arousal deep into his belly, his eyelids fluttering shut.  And as if the boy could sense his reaction, he started slowly grinding himself down onto Levi’s lap.

Levi inhaled with a start, his hands finding purchase on Eren’s waist.  The boy let out a soft sound of pleasure right next to Levi’s ear before rolling his hips again.  

“Eren,” Levi ground out, mentally scrabbling for purchase on his self-control.  “We can’t do this.  You’re hurt.”

“N-not too hurt for this,” the boy breathed, pressing open-mouthed kisses to Levi’s throat. 

Levi groaned, his eyes rolling back in his head.  _This kid was going to kill him._  

He felt Eren’s kisses getting more and more aggressive, his teeth making an appearance once in a while as he tried to push Levi’s shirt open to get at more skin, his hips rubbing against him with increasing fervor.  Then suddenly with a growl he shoved at Levi’s shoulders, pouncing on him when he fell backwards into the sheets.

“ _Eren_ ,” Levi gasped, surprised.  The kid loomed over him, covering his body completely as he straddled his hips.  Eren moved to the other side of his neck and set his teeth there, tugging at his shirt and trying to get at the soft skin of his shoulders.

Levi moaned again, trying to squander the panic that had started to rise within him.  He wasn’t used to being underneath someone like this, and couldn’t help but feel suffocated.  Trapped. 

His felt his breathing grow faster as his fear and arousal heightened as one.  To ground himself, he focused all of his thoughts solely on Eren.  The sweet smell of him, the sharp pinches of his teeth as they dug into his skin, his hands as they moved from the sides of his face, to his hair, and smoothed down his chest, his panting in Levi’s ear.  The delicious press of his hips as he rubbed himself on Levi like a bitch in heat.  _It was only Eren._

 _Only Eren._  

It was almost too much.

“Eren, stop… I don’t have anymore money…”

That gave Eren pause.   Levi nearly whimpered at the loss of his attentions.  The boy pulled his head back to look down on him, his fringe falling onto Levi’s forehead.  Eren’s pupils were dilated to such a degree that only a thin ring of turquoise remained around the outside.  Levi was willing to bet he looked much the same. 

The kid stared down at him intently, his eyes darting between Levi’s like he was searching for something.  He lowered his head once more to whisper in Levi’s ear.

“Don’t think of this as a transaction then.” 

A violent tremor echoed throughout Levi’s body.  His arms, seemingly of their own accord, reached up around Eren’s waist to grasp him by his shoulder blades.  Eren may not have been overly muscled but his back was young and strong; Levi could feel the power and _heat_ that moved under his skin. 

“I can’t,” Levi whispered.  It was as if a complete stranger had spoken instead.

Because if this wasn’t a transaction… then what was it?

The answer was too terrifying for Levi to even consider.

He was abruptly brought back to the present when Eren gave him a nip along his jawline.  “Fine, if you won’t have that… then let this be my way of thanking you.  For separating me and Etienne.”  Another nip, closer to his chin.

Eren lifted his head again so he could stare down into Levi’s eyes.  “And for taking care of me,” he added, in a voice so full of tenderness that Levi felt himself flush from his hairline all the way down to his toes.  He saw Eren’s gaze settle on his mouth and turned his head away, in an attempt to hide the sudden vulnerability he felt, and to deter Eren from trying to kiss him. 

Eren huffed with impatience.  Then Levi had an idea.       

He slid his arms down Eren’s back and grabbed two handfuls of his ass. 

The kid gasped, and before he could recover Levi pulled him down hard to _grind_ them together.  The high keening sound he made told Levi that the distraction was successful; Eren needed no further reminding.  He started pistoning his hips into Levi as only a teenager could, while Levi both pulled his ass down and lifted his own hips up with every thrust, meeting Eren halfway.  Levi was only half-hard at this point due to his earlier dalliance, but that didn’t stop the friction between himself and Eren from being any less electrifying.     

“Wanna fuck you,” the kid growled into his ear, and whined again as he rubbed their clothed cocks together.

Levi’s vision nearly whited out at that, even as a disbelieving huff of laughter escaped him.  He could see himself in his mind’s eye, spreading himself open for the boy, his legs falling apart as easy as breathing…

“In your dreams,” he panted, not willing to give the brat the satisfaction.

“It was.”  Somehow Eren was still talking.  “I did dream of you.  Of us.”  And he bit Levi’s earlobe, as if to prove his point. 

Levi couldn’t help but groan, one hand coming up to bury itself in Eren’s hair.

 _Stop talking_.

 _Keep going_.

“And when I woke up, I – _ahhhhhh_ – there was come _everywhere_ –“

“Sina _fuck_ ,” Levi swore viciously, mouthing at every inch of Eren’s skin he could find.  His throat, his shoulders, his collarbones.  His hands snaked down between them, holding Eren’s hips up so he could pull his cock out of his pants.  Eren hissed out a sigh at the contact, biting down _hard_ on the meat of Levi’s shoulders.  Levi gritted his teeth as he tugged and twisted his wrist, spreading the kid’s pre-come along his length like a lubricant. 

“ _Farlan_ ,” Eren whimpered, almost as if he were in pain.  Levi almost started at the strange name, but then remembered as if half in a dream that that’s what Eren thought _he_ was called.

A possessiveness came over him as he pulled at Eren’s cock with a punishing pace.      

“Been a long time since I let someone fuck me,” Levi growled into the boy’s ear.  “Think you could handle it?  I wouldn’t make it easy for you.”

“ _Yes_ ,” Eren breathed.  “Oh _fuck_ yes…”   

 _He was close_ , Levi thought as the boy’s hips began to lose their rhythm. 

“Come on sunshine.  Come for me.”

Eren choked out a garbled sound as his body jerked, his cock pulsing in Levi’s hand.  Warm splotches of come spattered onto Levi’s forearm. 

Panting, Eren collapsed onto Levi, nearly knocking the wind out of him, and nuzzled his face into Levi’s neck, right beneath his ear.  He gave another happy sigh, and not two minutes later began snoring. 

Levi grimaced.  _Are you fucking kidding me_? 

That kid was lucky he was still spent from earlier, or else he’d be getting a firm talking-to about bedroom manners. 

Although it did make sense for Eren to be so tired… his body was still healing after all.

And with that thought, a shadow passed over Levi’s face. 

He rolled Eren gently off of him, and maneuvered him under the covers of his bed with minimal fussing.  The boy really was exhausted, which meant no begging for Levi to stay the night.

And no trying to figure out where exactly he was going at this hour. 

Levi donned his Survey Corps jacket before exiting the room, with Eren slumbering away in his bed.  He didn’t feel so melancholy about leaving Eren this way again; he could lie to himself all he wanted about how he wasn’t coming back, but he knew he would.  No point in denying that anymore. 

If he was going to end up in hell anyway, he might as well enjoy the ride.   

Speaking of hell, he wondered where Marcus Zidler would be at this time of the evening.

No matter- he had all night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIP Marcus


	6. VI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! Here I am again another century later with a new update, so a thousand apologies for that (again). This chapter is where the drama is hiking up a notch, so brace yourselves. And as always, thank you again to all of you for reading, kudos-ing, bookmarking, subscribing, and commenting - you all give me and this story life and I love you to death for it. Enjoy my darlings xoxo
> 
> Also in case anyone is interested, I’m incubus-levi on tumblr if you want to come say hi ^___^

_His eyes upon your face_  
_His hand upon your hand_  
_His lips caress your skin_  
_It’s more than I can stand._

 

\- Moulin Rouge, _El Tango De Roxanne_

 

~)*(~

 

For Levi, prowling through Trost’s darkened streets felt like walking through a dream – or a nightmare.  It was almost as if he were Underground again, hunting through filthy alleyways for the scum that owed he and his money.  Or a favour.  Or both.

Needless to say, it never ended well for them – no matter how far they ran.

There weren’t too many civilians out and about at this hour, but the ones that were were quick to get out of his way.  His appearance frightened many of them at best on a normal day, but the murderous expression he wore now did little to comfort anyone. 

He all but pounced on the first Garrison soldier he saw a few blocks later.  “Hey you,” he called, smirking in satisfaction when the runt jumped up off the barrel he’d been sitting on.  The soldier’s face morphed into shock once he realized who’d hailed him. 

“C-Captain Levi!”  He jumped into a smart salute, eyes bulging out of his head like he’d just witnessed a murder. 

To Levi, that was rather appropriate.  _He’d witness his own soon if he didn’t start talking._

“Where can I find Marcus Zidler?” he barked.    

“Uhm… Officer Zidler?  I…hah…I’m not sure, sir…”

Levi advanced on him, shoulders popping menacingly as he rolled them backwards.

“Wait, wait!  I think he’s at the Hawk and Sparrow – it’s a few blocks west of here, Captain.  Sir!”

“I’m fucking aware of where it is…idiot,” Levi snarled, stalking off into the dark.  As an afterthought he called over his shoulder, “You can go back to doing shit-all now.”

The poor soldier exhaled shakily when Levi was out of sight, falling back down on his barrel as the tremors in his legs intensified, and offered a quick prayer to the goddesses on Officer Zidler’s behalf. 

Whatever he did to make Humanity’s Strongest look like _that_ …

Zidler was almost certainly a dead man.

~)*(~

The noise in the Hawk and Sparrow died down considerably when Levi all but threw the door open.  In an instant he could feel multitudes of eyes fix on him, soldier and civilian alike – then the low muttering began, like it always did. 

And like always, he could not find a single shit to give as he scoured the bar’s patrons for that engorged carrot-top.

“Where is Marcus Zidler?”  He didn’t bother to raise his voice; he knew the soldiers would hear him.  Some of their eyes widened as they looked to one another in confusion.

“I’m going to count to one.”

Immediately several hands raised to point towards the back of the pub.  And then a voice, “He’s back there, Captain.”

Sure enough there he was, the ugly bastard; his long red mane was hard to miss.  He was seated at the bar with a couple of his buddies, laughing and drinking and spilling beer all over themselves like the fools Levi knew them to be.

His lip curled as his hand clamped down on Zidler’s shoulder and wrenched him around in his seat.

“Hey!  What the fuck do you thi-” 

Marcus froze, his face visibly whitening when he realized to whom he was speaking.

“C-Captain Levi!”

“Outside.  Now,” Levi said in a voice cold as stone.  He hauled Zidler unceremoniously to his feet and thrust him towards the back door.  The officer’s friends managed a half-assed salute as they left, but Levi paid them no mind. 

He pitched the Garrison officer outside into the alleyway as if he were no more than a sack of flour.

“I’m so sorry Captain!  I’m sorry!” the idiot was babbling.  “I didn’t realize it was you, I swear!  If I knew I never would hav-”

“Shut the _fuck_ up,” Levi snarled, baring his teeth while Zidler cowered before him.  “If you’re going to grovel like the pathetic twat that you are, do it about something that matters.”

The fuckhead had the _nerve_ to look confused.

A muscle beneath Levi’s eye jumped.

“Tell me.  Why did you join the military?  When you first joined the Garrison, what was it _exactly_ you set out to do?”

Zidler gulped.  “To – to protect humanity sir.  T-to provide order, an-and safety to all within the Walls.”

“Is that so?”  Levi’s voice was dangerously low.  A sheen of sweat broke out on Zidler’s forehead.  “And whereabouts does beating defenseless prostitutes enter into that equation, hmm?”

Instantly, all the colour had drained from the officer’s face.

“Last I checked, courtesans were civilians too.”

After a moment, Zidler’s face scrunched from fear into resolve, as if he had made some kind of decision, and opened his mouth to speak –

“If you even _think_ about lying to me, I’ll cut out your tongue and feed it to you.”  The acid in Levi’s tone could have melted metal as he advanced on the near-hysteric officer.  “Do _not_ test me.”

Zidler bowed his head forward, his whole body shaking.  “I’m – I’m so sorry Captain, please.”

Levi stood still.  “I feel like I’m a bit at a disadvantage, Marcus.  I don’t know you very well, but I’m sure you’ve heard quite a lot about me.”

The officer still didn’t face him, only nodding his head erratically as Levi spoke.

“What I’ve done.  What I can do with a little… _motivation_.”

A loud sob echoed through the alleyway.  Levi almost smiled.

“Not all of it’s true, of course, but I don’t plan on enlightening you with the finer details.”

“Captain Levi! _Please_ ,” Zidler cried.  “There was reason behind what I did!”

Levi froze.

“I paid good money for that filthy whore, and he had the _audacity_ to call me by another man’s name when I was fucki-“

And before the officer knew what was happening, Levi was moving.  The dull thud of Levi’s fist connecting with Zidler’s face echoed almost sickeningly down the alleyway.  A second punch was delivered promptly after the first, much too fast for Zidler to react.  Marcus cried out in pain as the force behind the last blow knocked him off his feet, blood spraying out of his nose.

There was a roaring in Levi’s ears that was getting louder and louder by the second, and he struggled hard to tune it out.  The asshole’s words were spinning around and around in his head at such a dizzying speed that for a moment he thought he’d be sick. 

Levi hadn’t felt such blinding rage in a long, long time. 

If he had his way, Zidler’s entrails would have been decorating the entrance to the _Hawk & Sparrow _by now… but he had to restrain himself.  As much as he’d have liked to kill the bastard, he knew Erwin would be less than pleased with him.

So he decided to give Zidler his life.

Levi _tched_ at the snivelling man before him – crying and whimpering and curled up like a child, without a scrap of dignity. 

A distant part of Levi’s mind wondered if this was what Eren had looked like when Zidler had attacked him, before swiftly banishing the image.  If he continued down that train of thought, he might not be able to leave Marcus alive after all.

“If I _ever_ hear about you doing anything like this again, I will find you.  And your last moments on this earth will be the most unpleasant and horrifying you have ever experienced – I’ll ensure it.  Do I make myself fucking clear.”

“Yes!  Oh, yes, of course sir!  Thank you, sir!”  The man still cowered under Levi’s glare, trembling from his position on the ground.  Upon further inspection, Levi noticed that a dark stain had spread across the crotch of his pants; Zidler had honest to goddess pissed himself.  He might have laughed were it not for the fury simmering under his skin.

So Levi left him there, lip curling in derision. 

“Disgusting.” 

~)*(~

The long ride back to HQ went from being unpleasant to downright miserable when it started to rain, amplifying the autumn night’s chill one hundredfold.  If that weren’t enough Zidler’s words kept spinning around in his head, the thirst for violence spreading through his veins like poison.

_Eren had called Marcus another’s man’s name when they were fucking, and Zidler had beat him half to death for it._

Levi wasn’t sure which part made his blood boil more, his entire being screaming for retribution and destruction.  He regretted leaving that miserable cur his life, though he knew it was the right choice.  His teeth set on edge just thinking about that man being allowed to roam free.

Levi couldn’t promise he’d be able to behave himself the next time they crossed paths. 

The closer he got to HQ the more his rage ebbed away, and a bone-deep sadness began to take its place.

_Oh Eren…_

It wasn’t like he could blame the kid… Zidler certainly looked like he’d been beaten with the ugly stick more than a few times in his youth. 

So why did it feel like someone had a hand in his insides, squeezing and churning his organs into one big horrible mess?  This wasn’t his first time seeing someone grossly mistreated by another, not by a long shot.  Why was this different?

And in the midst of all his inner turmoil, a distant part of Levi wondered who Eren had thought of instead – until he viciously silenced the thought.  He knew he’d drive himself mad if he went down that route.  Instead he told himself that it didn’t matter, that it was none of his goddamned business.

Only, for some fucking reason, it did matter.  Immensely. 

Levi ground his teeth in frustration, digging his heels into his mare.  _He was so incredibly fucked._

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally pulled his mare into the courtyard of the Scouts’ base.  A soldier immediately ran over to hail him, and stumbled back a few steps once he saw the expression on Levi’s face.  He gulped nervously before speaking.

“Captain!  Uh, the Commander wishes to speak with you sir.”

“Where?”

“He’s – he’s in his office, sir.”

Growling under his breath, Levi vaulted off of his horse and all but tossed her reins over to the waiting soldier.

“Make sure she’s fed and kept warm.”

“Yes sir!”

Levi made his way to Erwin’s study, not missing the wide berth and worried glances his subordinates were giving him in the hallways.

After a few knocks on the door, a voice from within called for him to enter and he stepped inside.

“Levi,” Erwin greeted without looking up from his desk.

Levi crossed his arms across his chest and waited.

Finally, Erwin put down his pen and raised his head.

“Where have you been?” he asked mildly.

Levi turned his face away.  “Around.”

“You were in Trost, weren’t you.”

Levi’s head snapped towards his Commander, eyes narrowing.  “What if I was.”

Erwin expression remained blank.  “Oh, nothing.  I just hoped you’d finished looking over those reports before you went.”

Levi felt his lip curl.  “You know how much I fucking hate doing that.”

“Yes, I do.  Unfortunately, it needs to be done.  We can’t afford to start slipping up now that we’re being watched closer than ever.”

Levi heaved a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.  “Fine – I’ll get it done.”

“Good.”

Suddenly, Erwin’s attention seemed to zero in on his midsection; Levi felt the beginnings of apprehension trickle up his spine. 

“What happened to your hand?”

 _Fuck_.

“It’s nothing.”

Erwin’s expression hardened.  “Levi, I will not ask you again.”

“I may have… roughed up a Garrison officer.” 

Both of the Commander’s eyebrows rose high on his forehead. 

Levi stiffened, defensive.  “The bastard beat Eren within an inch of his life a couple days ago, so I took it upon myself to pay him a little visit.”

“Walls, Levi.  What am I going to do with you?”

Levi _tched_.  “Don’t ask me.  You’re the one who forced me to fight with you.”

“Yes, what was I thinking...you’ve always been a troublemaker,” Erwin mused, but his tone was light – affectionate, almost.  He leaned back in his chair and gave Levi an appraising look.  “You really have a soft spot for that boy, don’t you.”

Levi bristled.  “Of course not, don’t be stupid.  You don’t treat people that way, no matter their place in society.”

Erwin smiled softly, shaking his head in mock exasperation.  “Regardless, you need to be more careful Levi.  I’m glad you seem to be enjoying the company of this boy –“, here he promptly ignored the way Levi rolled his eyes, “- but you musn’t allow yourself to be overly distracted.  These next few months will be critical for us, so I need you at your best.  And that means _not_ engaging in violence – _especially_ with other soldiers – unless absolutely necessary.”

Levi’s nostrils flared.  “It _was_ necessary.  I was not about to let that greasy _fuck_ get away with – “

Erwin stood up suddenly, slamming his hands down on the desk.  Levi’s mouth snapped shut.

“Listen to me.  We cannot give the higher-ups _any_ reason at all to discredit us, or worse, _disband_ us.  That would be the end of our dreams of freedom as we know it, and the last of humanity will live out the rest of their days like livestock until we eventually succumb to extinction – without ever really knowing what it was to truly _live_.  Is that something you want?”

Levi swallowed hard, hanging his head.  “You know it isn’t.”

“I do,” Erwin said, lowering himself back into his chair.  “We just have to keep our eye on our goal.  I simply cannot allow the life of one person to come before the whole of humanity.  Is that understood?”

Levi met Erwin’s gaze then, sharp and unwavering, silver eyes glittering in the candlelight. 

“Yes, _sir_.”

~)*(~

Levi managed to last all of three days before he found himself on his way to Trost – _again_.  His restlessness was getting increasingly difficult to hide from his squad, a fact that was becoming more and more annoying as time passed.

He nearly strangled Hanji the other day when they wouldn’t stop pestering him.  Asking about where he’d been and why he seemed more _uptight_ than usual.

They’d danced out of reach laughing like a maniac before he could have landed a proper blow.

Petra had been asking after him too, with an underlying level of concern that he was accustomed to, but still not entirely comfortable with.  She sat with him last evening in the mess hall as he was enjoying his tea, along with the peace and quiet that usually went hand in hand with that time of day.

“Captain?” Petra had asked, folding and unfolding her hands in her lap.  “I don’t mean to be nosy, but… well, it seems like something has been troubling you lately.”

Levi put down his cup and levelled her with a blank stare.  “What makes you say that?”

“Well…”  Her face took on a reddish hue then.  “…you just seem frustrated about something.  Agitated, even.” 

Apparently he wasn’t being as subtle as he thought.  Although, Petra did always have a knack for reading him.  Not many people could.

“I’m always agitated Petra.”

She gave a short huff of laughter like he knew she would, while his own expression remained impassive. 

“I mean _really_ agitated.  Even more so than usual.”  Her tone was playful, but her concern was evident.

Levi sighed before picking up his cup again, sipping quietly.  “Everything’s fine.  There’s just been a lot on my mind, that’s all.”

She bit her bottom lip, considering.  “Is there… anything I could help with?” 

Levi was silent, turning to look at her again.

“I just – I want you to know you can talk to me about anything, Captain.”  Her brown eyes were wide and imploring as they searched his face.

She reminded him so much of Isabel when she did that.

A hint of a smile ghosted across Levi’s mouth.  “Thank you, Petra, but I wouldn’t even know where to start.  This is something I need to deal with on my own.” 

“Oh.”  She had visibly deflated at this, and Levi felt guilty for clearly not giving her what she wanted.  She was always so eager to help him…

But he’d be damned if he was going to divulge this mess of a situation with Eren to her – she’d probably think he was insane.  Or a pervert.  Or quite possibly both.    

And yet here he was again, settling in his horse in the small stable just behind the _Phoenix._

_Yeah – both sounded just about right._

Levi went inside imagining the attitude he’d get tonight as a result of his leaving the way he did last time, but it was better than the alternative.  The kid didn’t need to know what happened with Zidler, his experience had been traumatic enough.

As usual he took a seat at a table at the back of the room, closer to the bar.  He gave his order for a drink to the girl that had approached him, and she returned with it promptly.  There was a smile on her face when she handed him his whiskey, but her eyes were wary.  No doubt she remembered the stunt he pulled a few days ago, separating Eren from that other boy.

Levi threw back a mouthful of whiskey.  He needed to be more careful – the kid couldn’t know the truth about him.

And just like that, Levi spotted him.  For a moment he was relieved, that Eren was well enough that he didn’t need to be caged away in his room anymore – and then, nothing.  Like all the nerves in his body had been shot, as if he’d been electrocuted.

Eren was in the centre of the room, currently perched on the lap of a much older man, giggling and smiling and laughing away like he was having the time of his life, his hands perched on the man’s shoulders.  With a start Levi recognized the outfit Eren was wearing – it was the same shimmery green number he’d worn when he’d been dancing. 

The one that had rendered Levi inarticulate. 

Try as he might, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from them now.  The old fuck was completely showering Eren with attention; his hands roamed freely across the kid’s exposed chest, down his arms, around his waist.  There were even a few times where Eren actually let the man _feed_ him, his face the utter picture of seduction as he took the morsels with his teeth straight from the man’s fingers.        

Levi felt a muscle under his eye jump, and allowed himself ten seconds to envision all the different ways in which he could kill that man. 

Unfortunately, his fantasies were interrupted.

A middle-aged woman had come to stand beside his table, with a _very_ young, mousey-looking blond-haired boy at her side who was carrying a stack of papers on a wooden slab.  The woman’s grey hair was tied in a tight bun at the nape of her neck, matching the severeness of her facial features.  Sharp and intelligent looking – much like a bird, Levi thought.

This must be the _Phoenix_ ’s madam, the woman Erwin told him about.  Jelena, Levi remembered.

She was literally looking down her nose at him, her expression carefully blank.  “I take it you’re enjoying the show, Captain?”

The boy next to her was staring at him unapologetically, his round blue eyes practically bugging out of his head.  Levi knew that look all too well.  A cold shiver trickled down his spine; this kid recognized him as well, without a shadow of a doubt.

He narrowed his eyes at the boy, thinking quickly, before humming in answer to the madam’s question.

“Jelena, I presume?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”  She tilted her head to the side, considering him.  “I’ve heard much about you and your _accomplishments_.  Your Commander speaks very highly of you.”

Levi was silent at that.

A corner of her mouth twitched upwards into an insincere smile.  “I didn’t imagine that Humanity’s Strongest would be a frequenter of brothels.”

“I’m not.”  There was a sudden hard edge to his voice, and judging by the raising of Jelena’s pencil-thin eyebrows, she caught it too.  The blond boy swallowed visibly.

“Oh no?” Jelena asked with mock confusion.  “You do seem to come around quite a bit for a man claiming otherwise.”

Levi’s lip curled, irritation scraping alongside his temples.  Who the fuck did this witch think she was, questioning him like this?

“But seeing as how you come for my darling Eren, it’s easy to understand.”  Levi found himself following Jelena’s gaze towards said brat, where he was still being pawed at and drooled over by that creep.  It took all Levi had to supress the shudder of disgust that rattled through his body.  

“He is lovely, isn’t he?  Sometimes I swear half of Trost’s nobility are besotted with him.”

Levi turned toward her again only to find her watching him like a hawk.

“Do not mistake me, Captain.  I’m aware of everything that goes on in my brothel, and I know Eren is a favourite of yours, so don’t play coy.”

Levi shifted his jaw, willing himself to remain level-headed.  “Yeah?  Did you know that he was nearly killed a few days ago?  By one of _your_ customers?”  The boy at her side winced.

Immediately Jelena’s posture straightened further, and she raised her chin.  “Yes, well.  Unfortunately these things do happen sometimes despite the security I’ve put in place, but he’s been well looked after.” 

“Yes, well,” Levi replied, imitating the primness in her voice, “I took care of the problem for you.  You won’t get any more trouble from the bastard responsible.”

For a moment she looked shocked, eyes wide and blinking, before she pulled herself together. 

“Thank you,” she said stiffly.

Levi only inclined his head slightly, never breaking her stare. 

“Well, Captain, it was an honour to finally meet you.  Thank you for gracing my establishment with your presence, and for your generous patronage.”

Levi grunted in response, not deeming her insincerity worthy of a proper answer.  She turned to leave, and paused.

“Oh, and I do believe Eren will be otherwise occupied for the next few hours I’m afraid.  I hope that won’t be an issue.”

“Of course not – a whore is a whore, and there’s plenty to go around.”  Out of the corner of his eye, Levi thought he saw the blond boy flinch.  “I was making my way out, anyways.”

Jelena narrowed her eyes at him.

It was then he made the fatal mistake of looking for Eren one last time – only to witness the exact instant the kid realized he was there.

Like the flip of a coin, Eren’s playful expression turned into one of shock, and he completely froze in the lap of his current client.  Even from across the room Levi could see how wide his eyes had gotten, the gorgeous red flush creeping up his chest.

But it was the raw _hope_ that he saw there in Eren’s face… and that older fuck was grabbing at his hips to get back his attention –

Suddenly it was too much to bear. 

Levi stood abruptly and headed for the back door, the heavy wood thudding hard behind him as he left.

~)*(~

The madam pursed her lips in thought, staring after him.  Captain Levi was an extremely valuable client, if the sums he’d paid Eren and Etienne were anything to go by. 

However, there was also a great danger in him being here.  She knew very well of Eren’s obsession with the Survey Corps, and it had taken a great deal of effort getting him to stay with her.

 _“But Jelena – I_ need _to go to them.  I – I want to fight!  I have to -”_

“ _I know, my dear boy, but remember what you promised your mother.  Her dying wish was for you to remain safe and stay out of harm’s way.  You and Armin both.  Are you truly that selfish, to throw away all of what she sacrificed for you?”_

_At the mention of his mother the fire left Eren’s eyes as quickly as it had ignited, his shoulders drooping in defeat._

_“No ma’am.”_

She’d comforted him the best she could, but as he got older, that wild spirit of his was getting more and more difficult to get a handle on. 

The Scouts held absolutely nothing for him – only horror and death.  If only she could make him _see_ that.   

And this… _Captain_ … was only making things worse for her.

She’d overheard Eren gush about him to her other robins on more than one occasion.  Getting excited about a particularly attractive customer was common enough in the brothel – but _Eren_?  Eren did not _gush_.

This was something different, and it worried her.

The funny thing was, Eren had always called him _Farlan_ , and Jelena knew for a fact he was referring to Levi when he described his appearance to some of the girls.  Which meant that for some reason, the good Captain was keeping his identity a secret.  Armin was under the impression that there must be an important purpose to explain why he was doing so and that they should follow his lead, but under this suggestion was a current of anxiety that she picked up on straight away.  Armin was a horrible liar. 

He didn’t want Eren to know. 

She supposed it might hurt him, if he were to find out his precious soldier had been lying to him all this time. 

Jelena supressed a sigh.  She’d told all of her goslings time and time again how _dangerous_ these sorts of attachments were… but she certainly didn’t want her darling boy to be upset either. 

She _also_ didn’t want to lose out on what that pint-sized watchdog had in his pockets.

So she’d play it by ear, for now.  That little secret could be useful one day…

~)*(~

Levi stormed into the stable in a huff, anger and humiliation heating his cheeks.

 _What did you expect?  That’s what he does_.  _You_ knew _that._

Well, he supposed ‘knowing’ and ‘seeing’ were two very different things.

 _Fuck_ he was an idiot.

Creio whickered warily when he entered her stall, no doubt sensing his foul mood.  He brought her out into the aisle, clipping the cross ties to her halter while he stroked her neck to calm her.

Behind him, the barn door opened.  

“Farlan?”

Levi froze, squeezeing his eyes shut.  He _hated_ how his heart jumped in his throat at the sound of that voice.  

Eren let the door swing shut behind him.  “Farlan, is that you?”

Levi resumed petting his mare.  “Yeah.”

A few moments of tense silence ticked by as Levi shifted around, making a show of looking for his grooming supplies.

“…where are you going?”

“Where do you think?  Back to base.”

“But – ”

Levi whirled around and forced himself to meet Eren’s eyes.  “Why are you here?  Don’t you have somebody else to fuck?  Or blow?  Or whatever the fuck it is he’s paying you for?”

Levi’s tone was vicious – and his words clearly hit their mark.  Eren winced, his teal eyes growing wide with shock and wounded confusion.

But it only lasted for an instant, as riotous anger flared up in its place.  “No, actually.  For your information, I just pretended to be sick so I could come after you, you grumpy old man.”

Now it was Levi’s turn to be surprised, his rage all but forgotten.  “What?”

“But since you seem like you’re in such a hurry, I’ll leave you alone,” Eren said bitterly, turning and heading for the door.

Before Levi knew what was happening he shot forward and encircled the kid’s wrist in an iron grip, tugging him to a halt.

Eren rounded on him immediately, anger and hurt clouding together as one in his eyes.  Levi swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling like the biggest piece of shit to have ever lived.

“Don’t go, Eren.  I’m – I’m sorry.”

The boy’s nostrils flared, his proud head held high.  His beautifully sculpted eyebrows were pulled together as he considered Levi’s plea, bright turquoise irises switching back and forth between Levi’s own eyes.  Eren’s pupils were absolutely enormous, so dark and beguiling… even now, when his rage threatened to bubble up and over the surface.  Levi had the sudden absurd fear that he might fall into them.

After a few moments the crease between Eren’s eyebrows smoothed out and he smiled, letting out a little sigh.  The knot in Levi’s chest loosened, and he felt he could breathe again.     

“You’re a dick.”

Levi blinked, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards.  “I know.”

Eren’s smile grew into something so absolutely blinding that Levi had to fight not to look away.  Then he turned almost shy and tilted his head down, looking at Levi from beneath his lashes. 

“Does this mean you’ll come back with me?”      

“Fuck yes,” Levi growled.  Eren practically shuddered along with it, eyelashes fluttering.  Moving forward, he pressed himself flush against Levi, bending over to mouth at his throat.

Levi cursed lowly, his hands instantly threading into Eren’s hair.  “Oh no,” he gasped out.  “I am _not_ fucking you in a barn.”  He managed to wrangle Eren off of him, the boy complaining all the while. 

“Quit whining brat, and let’s go.”  Levi extricated himself from the kid’s embrace and went to put Creio back in her stall.

“We’ll have to be sneaky,” Eren mused dazedly, amazingly coherent for the state he had just worked himself into.  “I can’t let Wenssel see us after I said I was ill… neither can the madam.  She’d skin me alive.”

Levi raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms in front of his chest.  “Alright then, stealth it is.  Lead the way sunshine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more smexy times ahead...stay tuned ;)


	7. VII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK!! HALLELUJAH!! 
> 
> There are several reasons why this chapter is so DISGUSTINGLY LATE, the main one being that I have a lot of trouble writing sex scenes. (But Lee, why on God's Green Earth then are you writing about brothels and prostitutes???) Good question - who the hell knows?? Also I'm super lazy, which is something I will probably be struggling with for the rest of my adult life, so sorry again for that.
> 
> But anyway here we go, almost 5k words of basically just porn so I hope that makes some of you less mad at me for taking so long. I honestly have 90% of this whole thing mapped out, it's now just a matter of getting my butt in gear in getting it all out. And come hell or high water I will do it, by God. I'm aiming for 12 ish chapters at the moment.
> 
> And as always, thank you all for your support, it makes my heart feel all tingly inside. And reading your thoughts on my work is my most favourite thing ever so please don't be shy xoxoxo Enjoy my pretties!

_Candy, she’s sweet like candy in my veins_

_Baby, I’m dying for another taste_

_Drown me, you make my heart beat like the rain_

_Surround me, hold me deep beneath your waves_

~)*(~

 

Eren lead him around the back of the brothel through an entrance that led into the kitchens.  The chefs paid them no mind as they stumbled their way inside.

They ducked through several passageways that Levi had never seen before, flew up another staircase, and approached Eren’s room from the opposite side that Levi normally would have come. 

Once he had Levi inside, Eren locked the door and turned to leer at Levi shamelessly.  Eren gave him a few seconds to brace himself before he shot forward and wrapped his arms around Levi’s waist, nuzzling into his neck.  Levi sighed, his hands coming up to rest on Eren’s shoulders and pushing lightly, putting some distance between them.

“Wait.”  It was almost embarrassing how breathless he was already.  “Let me just –“  He fumbled around the inside of his jacket for the bag of coins he’d stashed when Eren grabbed his arm, yanked it away, and returned to his mouth to the side of Levi’s throat. 

“Not now,” Eren breathed.  “After.”

Levi growled, his desire becoming more and more difficult to subdue.  He tangled his fingers in Eren’s hair, dragging him backwards toward the bed.   When he felt the backs of his knees hit the mattress he let himself fall backwards and pulled Eren along with him, the boy letting out a startled squeak.

Eren’s surprise was short lived.  In an instant he was scraping his teeth along Levi’s jawline and circling his hips down in a way that heated Levi’s blood and made his toes curl.  Levi groaned, his hands frantically pushing down the thin layer of Eren’s pants. 

He managed to get them down to Eren’s knees until the boy all but kicked them off, while the kid’s own hands deftly worked through the buttons on Levi’s shirt.  Eren pushed the garment open, an expression of desire clouding his face as he stared down at Levi’s chest, his abdominal muscles…

Levi felt his cock twitch at the obvious hunger burning in Eren’s gaze.  The boy raised his head to meet Levi’s eyes, his mouth pulling into a wicked smirk.  

Then quickly, before Eren had any other dangerous ideas, Levi clamped his hands down on Eren’s hips, and with a powerful twist of his body he flipped Eren onto his back.  The boy lay under him now, green eyes wide in surprise.  In the past Levi had been strangely content with letting Eren set the pace (for the most part), but he was feeling a particular kind of hunger tonight.

And if the way Eren swallowed visibly was anything to go by, the kid could feel it as well.  His eyes darted lightning quick across Levi’s face as if not sure where to look, his pupils large and black.

Levi sat back on his haunches and began untying his cravat.  When he slipped it free from his throat he shrugged off his shirt, his eyes not moving from Eren’s face.

“I should try to make you jealous more often,” Eren said, breathless but smiling. 

Something ugly in Levi’s stomach twisted at the thought of Eren perched on the lap of that grotesque excuse for a man.  His fingernails dug into the delicate skin of Eren’s wrists as he pressed his entire body down onto the boy beneath him.  He felt Eren’s legs wrap around his hips as the kid moaned, holding them as tightly together as humanly possible. 

_Jealous.  He couldn’t fucking believe it._

Slowly he mouthed his way up Eren’s throat again, taking his time, the kid practically writhing underneath him.  “Hmmm,” he murmured against Eren’s skin, “That doesn’t sound like me.”        

“You sure?” Eren gasped.  Levi lifted himself up so he could see Eren’s face.  The boy was panting now, his chest heaving with the effort of it.  Levi could barely make out the turquoise of his irises, so consumed were his eyes by the blackness of his pupils.  “Because you looked like you were plotting the murder of my _client_.”

Levi had to swallow a snort.  “That’s just my face.”

Eren scoffed, rolling his eyes and tilting his head back, exasperated.  “Please.  I know your face by now.”  He looked up at Levi again, his eyes twinkling with warm amusement – and something more than a little wicked.

“I remember how you looked.  You were _pissed_.”  Eren grinned, smugness absolutely radiating from him. “Because you wanted me all for yourself.” 

Levi _tched_.  “And I think you’re projecting.  At least I didn’t try to claw that fat fuck’s face off.” 

All at once the playfulness from Eren’s expression disappeared, the warmth shuttering out of his eyes as he turned his face into the pillow. 

Cold dread prickled down the back of Levi’s neck.  He’d meant it as a joke, nothing more.  Suddenly his mind threw itself back to a few days ago, Eren’s hurt expression filling his mind’s eye as he had confronted Levi about Etienne. 

_Why did the brat care so much?  At the end of the day, none of this mattered to either of them._

Another image seared itself into Levi’s brain – to just a short while ago, when Eren had first seen Levi in the brothel although he’d been _entertaining_ someone else.  His doe-eyed shock had turned to such joy, such _excitement_ …

_None of it mattered…_

Fuck, he was going to be sick.

Gently Levi released his hold on Eren’s wrists, moving his hand to cup the boy’s cheek.  He didn’t miss the way Eren’s eyelashes fluttered at his touch, the way his full lips parted in a sigh.  Levi inhaled shakily, trying to ignore the roiling of his stomach.

“Hey,” he said, voice gruff, his thumb gently stroking Eren’s cheekbone.  “Look at me.”  Eren kept his eyes closed and remained still.      

Levi bent over until his mouth was right next to Eren’s ear.  “You were right,” he growled.  He felt Eren lift his head a bit – questioning. 

“…I was jealous.”

Eren was silent, but Levi didn’t miss the hitch in his breathing.  After a moment Levi felt Eren’s arms slide up his sides, his hands coming up to grip his shoulders from behind, holding Levi close.  Levi screwed his eyes shut, trying to get a grip on himself. 

“Prove it.”

Levi’s eyes shot open, surprised at the change in Eren’s tone. “…what?”

“I said _prove it_ ,” Eren growled, a mile away from the desolate creature he’d been just moments ago.  His fingernails dug into Levi’s back without mercy, with a kind of possessiveness that seared into Levi’s blood like a brand.

 _A brand_.  His mind stuttered to a halt. 

“What do you mean?” Levi asked, though he was sure he already knew the answer.

Eren made another frustrated noise, something halfway between annoyance and desperation.  

“Mark me,” he whispered, exhaling harsh breaths into Levi’s neck.  He pushed his hips upwards to rub against Levi, both of them gasping at the contact.  Eren’s fingers began kneading themselves into the meat of Levi’s shoulders as his impatience grew.  “I wanna feel… your teeth, your hands…  I want to see what you’ve done to me after you’ve gone.”

Levi’s eyes rolled to the back of his head at the kid’s words, white hot arousal shooting straight to his cock.  His mouth began to water as he imagined Eren’s beautiful honeysuckle skin covered with crescent shaped bites – and everyone would know that _he_ had put them there.

The brat had no idea what he was doing to him.

“Show me how much you want me.”  Although his voice was no louder than a whisper, Eren’s tone was fierce.  “Mark me like – “  Eren froze, his unspoken plea hanging heavily in the air between them.

 _Like I’m yours_. 

Levi swore, his heart in his throat as he latched his teeth onto the column of Eren’s neck, just below his ear. 

Eren cried out, one hand fixing itself in Levi’s hair while the other shimmied between them and pawed at the heat building between Levi’s legs.

A gasp hissed out between Levi’s teeth – but he made no move to pull away.  In some distant part of his mind was the realization that this was the first time he was actually letting Eren touch him.  Finally allowing himself to have something he wanted.

And no matter how much he tried to tell himself he that didn’t, or _shouldn’t_ want it – it didn’t make the delicious feeling of Eren’s hands on him any less arousing.

Levi took his time kissing and sucking marks onto Eren’s neck, working his way down to the hollow of his throat and his collarbones.  The boy writhed beneath him, moaning incoherently.  His hands worked away at Levi’s trousers, shaking as they tore at his buttons. 

Levi felt Eren’s nails at his hips as he shoved Levi’s pants off and out of the way.  Almost immediately Eren bucked, tearing a hoarse gasp from Levi at their cocks rubbed together.     

Half of him just wanted to give in and rut into Eren like a fucking animal until they both got off, but Levi wanted to make this last. 

The past few days had plagued him with thoughts of Eren and drove him to distraction time and time again.  (Well, it’d been a lot longer than just a few days if he was being honest.)  But now, he was growing a pair and admitting it to himself. 

So what if he’d developed a bit of an infatuation with the brat?  It was easy to do – anyone with eyes could see that.     

And he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to make the most of his time with Eren now.  With the kind of life he lived, who knew when he’d get another chance.   

Levi kissed his way down Eren’s chest and over his stomach, huffing a laugh when Eren predictably squirmed as Levi dipped his tongue into his navel.  It should have frightened him to realize he was getting to know Eren’s body so well, but in that moment he couldn’t bring himself to care.

He purposefully ignored Eren’s cock (much to the boy’s very _loud_ objections) and latched his mouth onto his inner thigh.  Eren’s cries raised sharply in pitch – a symphony to Levi’s ears.  Every sound that came out of that kid’s mouth seemed tailored to drive him absolutely fucking _insane_ , driving heavy throbs of want to his cock each time.  He had his fingernails dug deep into Levi’s shoulders, and Levi had to keep his own hands holding Eren’s hips to the bed.  The kid really did have a ticklish midsection; he squirmed like hell when Levi started nibbling at his hipbones. 

“ _Farlan_ ,” Eren gasped out.  Levi ignored the twinge in his gut.  “ _Please.  I can’t-“_

Levi raised his head, and the sight of Eren nearly left him breathless.  The kid looked _wrecked_ ; his eyes were half lidded and glassy, hair a mess, his lips were bitten-red, a gorgeous flush staining his chest all the way up to his cheeks.

“When was the last time you washed?”  Levi had to stifle a wince; both at the abruptness of his question, and the fact that his voice sounded like he’d just singlehandedly smoked a pack of cigars.

The boy’s eyes widened.  “Ah – a few hours ago?”

“Fucking fantastic.  Pass me a pillow.”

A shy little smile broke out across Eren’s face as handed Levi the pillow lying beside his head and yelped when Levi lifted him by the hips, dragging the pillow to rest underneath his bum.

Immediately Levi was spreading Eren’s legs and pushing his knees up to his chest.  Then he bent forward and gave Eren’s hole a rough swipe of his tongue.

The boy gave a little _oh_ of surprise, his whole body practically jolting off the bed.

As ever Levi was blown away by how responsive Eren was; his balls felt so damn heavy between his legs. _How much more of this could he take?_ But despite his growing want he paused, a warning flickering in his stomach.

He met Eren’s eyes again.  “Is this okay?” 

“If it wasn’t, I would have said something when you asked me for a pillow.”  The boy’s smirk sent a flare of heat to Levi’s face – and straight to his dick.  “All courtesans know what _that_ means.”

Levi grunted.  “Alright.  You asked for it, cheeky bastard.” 

And his tongue promptly rendered Eren incoherent.  He started off slow, swirling around Eren’s entrance before dipping inside bit by bit until he was downright fucking the kid with his tongue. 

As a general rule he didn’t do this very much.  But something about Eren made Levi want to taste him here, something wild and incessantly _primal_.  It was intimate and fucking filthy as hell, but the way Eren moved beneath him was beyond worth it – lost in his ecstasy.  His hands were tangled in the sheets, until Levi pried them loose by his wrists and moved to rest them in his hair.

He heard Eren’s sharp intake of breath.  “Oh _Farlan_ ,” the boy sighed, the pads of his fingertips massaging circles onto Levi’s scalp.  He swallowed the lump in his throat at the warmth in Eren’s voice, and threw himself into the task at hand with increased fervor. 

By the urgency and sheer volume of Eren’s cries, Levi didn’t think he had this done for him very often.  Peculiarly, the thought warmed his insides. 

He liked the idea of being the only one to pleasure Eren this way.      

After another particularly loud moan, Levi lifted his head to look down at the boy. 

“Fuck’s sake – do you want to maybe take it down a notch?  People are gonna think you’re being tortured or something.”

Eren’s skin glistened with a thin sheet of sweat, his chest heaving.  His head was thrown back onto his pillow, but when he heard Levi’s voice he raised his head with what looked like considerable effort.  He regarded Levi with dark, hungry eyes.

“But you _are_ torturing me,” Eren breathed with a lopsided smile.  “Such a horrible, _horrible_ man.”   

With a growl Levi surged up Eren’s body, pressing him back into the pillows.

“ _I’m_ horrible?”  Levi pressed his face into Eren’s neck just below his ear, the boy’s hair tickling his nose.    He inhaled deeply, wondering if he should feel embarrassed by the ability Eren’s scent had to make him salivate like he hadn’t eaten in weeks. 

“You’re the one always prancing around looking like a fucking forest nymph or some shit.  And your stupid, gorgeous eyes…”

Levi pulled back so he could look into said eyes, wide and glittering like goddamn jewels.  Blue and green and gold all swirling together, pupils dark enough to swallow him whole…

Eren sucked his bottom lip between his teeth, gazing up at Levi with hundreds of questions alight in his eyes – the perfect picture of innocence.

If Levi wasn’t careful, he was going to drown in them – which, if he was being honest, he wouldn’t mind too much at the moment.  The next thing he knew his mouth was opening without permission, his heart going haywire beneath his rib cage.

“You’re driving me fucking _crazy_.” 

Immediately Levi bit his tongue – hard.   

_Wait, what the fuck??_

Eren’s own mouth fell open.  His ears turned a frankly astonishing shade of red, eyelids fluttering in surprise.

_Shit. SHIT._

“ _Farlan,_ ” Eren breathed, in awe.  Then the corners of his mouth turned up into the most beautiful smile – it nearly hurt Levi to behold it. 

Levi broke the moment, unsure of what to do with the emotions dancing across the brat’s face.  “Shut up,” he grumbled feeling his cheeks warm, leaning over the boy to get at the nightstand.  He felt Eren’s fingertips idly running up and down along his back, up across his shoulder blades, the brat humming aloud and sounding quite pleased with himself.    

Levi fished a jar of lube and some condoms out of the drawer and deposited them beside the boy.  He didn’t look at Eren as he coated his fingers, but Levi could feel the weight of his eyes on him.

Finally, he steeled himself and met Eren’s gaze before spreading his legs.

“Okay?” he asked, voice gruff.

The kid nodded, biting at his mouth again.

 _God, he wanted to do that_.

Levi cursed under his breath and rubbed a finger across Eren’s entrance.  The boy gasped, tilting his hips up.

Good – this is what he understood.  What he was good at.  Pure, carnal pleasure.  He was treading dangerous ground now, starting to infringe on a world of emotion and _feelings_ that he hadn’t the slightest fucking _clue_ how to navigate, and it scared him half to death.

But he knew what to do in the here and now – how to make Eren feel good.  Levi took his time working a finger inside him, feeling the way Eren’s body began to loosen around him.  Eren’s mewls of pleasure were shooting pulses of arousal deep into his belly and straight through to his cock, making focusing on what he was doing a little difficult, but he pushed through.  This was for Eren.  And all the while he kept his senses alert for the slightest indication that Eren was uncomfortable, or that he wanted to stop.  But the boy gave no such sign. 

“ _More,_ ” he whined, gripping onto the bedsheets like he was holding on for dear life.  Levi added a second finger, massaging Eren’s insides as gently as he could while simultaneously stretching him open. Eren writhed and panted underneath him, and Levi was so hard he felt he would burst.    

Eventually he added a third finger, curling and uncurling within the boy as Eren’s whimpers started to morph into yelps.  Levi couldn’t help but stare at how his fingers disappeared into Eren’s body, the sounds he was making caused Levi to moan in sympathy, wanting nothing more than to _take_ this boy for all he was worth and fuck him until he screamed himself hoarse.  

Eren was practically sobbing now.  “Farlan, _fuck_ me already you bastard, I can’t take it anym – _ah!_ ”  Eren’s back snapped upwards as Levi found that sensitive spot, his head knocking back against his pillow. 

Levi gently brushed against that bundle of nerves again, and Eren _keened_.

“Farlan, I – I’m gonna come – “

Cursing under his breath, Levi withdrew his fingers.  He hurried to slip on the condom, noticing the way Eren’s body trembled as he waited.

He dug his fingers into Eren’s hips and prepared to flip Eren onto his stomach, when the kid’s hand shot out to grab his wrist.

“No!”

Levi looked up at him, startled.  He half expected to see Eren’s eyes wide with fear, or something else along those lines.  But all he saw in them was pleading, a kind of wildness in Eren’s expression.  Then an expression of shock passed over him, and he looked down sheepishly.

“… not on my stomach.  I – I want to see you.”

Levi thought he felt his heart stutter in his chest.

 _Fuck_.

He couldn’t do this.  _He couldn’t._

Part of him wanted to, _of course_ he wanted to, but if he did this… there would be no going back.

The walls (no _goddamn_ pun intended) he put up between himself and the boy were crumbling fast before his eyes, whether Levi liked it or not.  If he was being honest with himself, deep down he _knew_ he was doomed since the very first time he caught a glimpse of those turquoise eyes.  But now it was certainly inevitable. 

This could very well be the death of him.

He mentally shook himself, trying to get his head into the here and now.  _If it’s what the kid wants, then that’s what’s going to happen_.  _No big deal._

Except for the fact that Levi couldn’t remember the last time he fucked someone face to face.  There was a level of intimacy and closeness that went along with it that he never wanted any part of.  But now…   

His inner turmoil must have made it onto his expression as Eren’s eyebrows furrowed, eyes wide with worry.

“You don’t want to?”

The break in his voice was like a lance through Levi’s side, and he realized he was going to give Eren anything he damn well wanted if it meant he never had to hear that again.

“It’s not that,” he murmured, Eren watching his face with an intensity Levi had never experienced before. 

“Then what?”

Levi ground his teeth, frustration flooding into him.  He _hated_ being put on the spot like this.  He didn’t talk about his _feelings_ , could never find the right ways to articulate them, so what came out instead was something much nastier.  

“Why do _you_ want to so much?”

Eren blinked, confusion and hurt making his eyes go wide.  “I told you – I want to see you…”

“Yeah, I bet you say that to every guy that can afford to fuck you,” Levi snarled, like something wild backed into a corner.

The instant it was out of his mouth, Eren’s fingernails dug into his back hard enough to make Levi grunt.

Eren’s face was a mask of fury, green eyes blazing.

“I do _not_ ,” he seethed, bucking his hips up with a force so unexpected that Levi was nearly unseated, and he grunted again at the sudden pressure on his cock.  He ground his hips down into Eren in turn, smug when the action made the boy gasp aloud.

“And _fuck you_ for thinking so,” Eren breathed, much of the violence leaving his voice.  So Levi did it again, hiking up on of Eren’s legs up around his side. 

Then he lined himself up with Eren’s entrance and buried himself to the hilt with a single thrust. 

Eren practically screamed, tightening both legs around Levi’s waist like a vice.  Levi bent forward, bending Eren nearly in half as he did so, and thrusted in him again before the boy could catch his breath.  He felt Eren’s nails score down his back as he loosed another high-pithed sound, and Levi wondered absently if Eren had broken the skin. 

But all that really consumed him now was Eren’s heat, the lovely drag of him surrounding Levi’s cock.  So _tight_ , like he was fucking _made_ for him _…_

Levi growled into the boy’s neck, one hand braced beside Eren’s head and the other gripping onto the bedframe as he rolled his hips forward, Eren’s garbled cries of _faster harder more_ nearly lost among his moans.

But still, Levi tried to oblige him.  He fastened his teeth onto Eren’s throat in a sudden, blinding urge to _posses_ , his hips pistoning into the boy at a rapid pace, the obscene sound of flesh slapping flesh accompanying groans and gasps and sighs.  One of Levi’s hands snuck between them to grip Eren’s length, and Eren let one of his hands slip into Levi’s hair, gripping tightly.

“ _Farlan_ ,” the boy whimpered, and it took all Levi had not to correct him.

 _It’s_ Levi.  _My name is Levi._

He bit at Eren again; a distraction. 

If the boy found out now, after all this time…

He’d never forgive him. 

Eren’s cries were getting louder now as Levi tugged at his cock, and Levi could tell he was close.  He himself wasn’t far behind. 

“ _Kiss me_.”

Levi’s hips faltered in their rhythm.  “…What?”

“Kiss me I said,” Eren panted, barely able to keep his eyes open.

Levi propped himself up on his elbows so they were face to face.  “I thought I had to pay extra for that.”

“I don’t _care_.  I’ll do anything.  _Please_.”

Levi leaned his face down beside Eren’s, feeling his heart pound in his ears, still rolling his hips steadily.  Eren groaned beneath him, the sound creeping up into a whine in his desperation, fingernails raking along any piece of skin they could find.     

Eren was making little _ah, ah, ah_ noises every time Levi thrusted into him, and Levi felt his own skin burning up from the inside out.  He could barely see straight, so consumed with desire for this beautiful thing beneath him.  It was too much; Eren’s scent, his body, the feel of him wrapped tight around Levi’s cock, the _sounds_ he was making –  

“Farlan – I – I – I lov –“

Like the snap of a bowstring, Levi shoved himself up along Eren’s body faster than either of them could blink until Eren’s ankles were beside his ears and slammed their mouths together, silencing Eren completely.

This was going to damn him more than anything else, but the alternative was _fucking_ _unacceptable_.

And then they were kissing.  Eren let out a sound that was half gasp and half sob, and Levi felt as though someone had somehow snuck their hand into his ribcage and closed it around his heart, squeezing with all their might. 

The boy’s lips were soft and warm, and he tasted just like he smelled – like nutmeg, cinnamon, and something woodsy.  Only more concentrated somehow, and Levi was losing his goddamn _mind_. 

Eren’s hands flew from Levi’s back to cup his face and brushed his thumbs along Levi’s cheekbones, and it’s the easiest thing in the world for Levi to slip his tongue past the boy’s lips and tangle it around Eren’s as though they’ve been doing this for years.

It’s sloppy and uncoordinated, Levi continuing to drive himself into the kid like a man possessed.  Eren was making these precious, soft sounds into his mouth and he suddenly can’t help but growl out the boy’s name and everything was burning up –

Suddenly he felt Eren’s body tighten around him, and the kid cried out once before latching onto Levi’s shoulder with his teeth –

Levi saw stars. 

His orgasm ripped through him with a fury that left him breathless.  His body arched forward, hips stuttering as he rode it out.  When he came down his face was buried in the bit of Eren’s hair that curled at the nape of his neck.  They were both trembling and panting harshly.   

Levi rolled off of the boy, not wanting to squash him, and just lay there staring at the ceiling.  He felt a stinging sensation on his shoulder, and his lower lip throbbed with every beat of his heart – he probably also had Eren’s teeth to thank for that.

_What had he done?_

Levi closed his eyes and tried to focus on how boneless he felt.  He was tired, so so tired…

After a few moments he felt the mattress shift.  He opened one eye to see Eren get up off the bed on shaky legs, like a newborn fawn, and wobble over to his dresser.  Levi’s eyes fluttered shut again, the soft sound of water dripping floating over to him.  Soon he felt the mattress dip under Eren’s weight. 

When he opened his eyes Eren loomed over him, looking exhausted but happy.

“Here,” he said, holding out a wet cloth.

Grimacing, Levi peeled the condom off and cleaned himself as best he could given his current state, lobbing the condom into a wastebasket near the bed.  He let out a sigh, flopping down onto his back

There was a few moments of silence and suddenly Levi had no idea what the fuck was going to happen now.  The usual feeling to _escape_ after a fuck was still there, prickling uneasily underneath his skin like a virus, but he was exhausted.  That was probably by far the best sex he’d had in his _life_ , he didn’t want to move, and the sheets smelled so strongly of Eren…

The mattress shifted again, and Levi felt the boy gently nestle himself into his side.  Eren let out a sigh of his own, his breath tickling the side of Levi’s neck. 

“You’re not going to run away again, are you?” he asked in a small voice.  

“That depends,” Levi said drily, “You gonna fall asleep on me again?”

He expected Eren to laugh him off or tell him to shut up or _something_ , but the kid only pressed himself closer.

“No,” he whispered, and the gravity of Levi’s situation finally hit him like a wheelbarrow-load of mortar and stone right to the goddamn temple.

Of course, despite his immense efforts in trying to avoid it, he just _had_ to go and fall in love with this stupid fucking kid.

He really was an idiot. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOIIIII HE FINALLY DID IT *wipes tear* The feels are coming folks.  
> The excerpt at the start of the chapter is from the song _Electric Love_ by Borns  <3
> 
> ALSO P.S - I started a new ereri fic called _The Ocean_ (which is also canon era) because it's not like I already have a huge fic on the go, so if you like my writing feel free to check it out and let me know what you think! :)


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